


Brief Encounter

by HartSense26809



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual Romance, F/M, Murder Mystery, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Suspense, alternate universe-country boy/city girl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:20:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 55,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23045440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HartSense26809/pseuds/HartSense26809
Summary: After years on the rodeo circuit, Barry Allen wants nothing more than land of his own and a woman who will claim his heart for more than one night. When he has a chance to buy the enormous West Ranch, he snaps up the incredible deal. Everything is set until Barry rescues a woman on the deserted, snowy road leading to the property, and the half frozen beauty changes everything.Iris West rushes to her family’s abandoned ranch trying to solve a mystery. A mystery that has her marked for death, unless she can uncover a secret hidden somewhere at West Ranch. The last thing Iris expects is to be rescued by a rugged rancher with his own agenda. A man who almost makes her forget how dangerous love can be.As an unlikely partnership sparks into something more, and a killer closes in, can Iris and Barry learn to trust one another before it’s too late?
Relationships: Barry Allen/Iris West
Comments: 207
Kudos: 239





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> One anxiety filled night, when I couldn’t sleep, this idea came to me. I know the cowboy/city girl storyline can be terribly clichéd, but I’m hoping to challenge myself, avoid those pitfalls, and deliver an original, entertaining story.

New York City 

Three long days without a word. No call. Not even a text. Iris stared at her phone, willing it to ring. She tapped her finger on the screen and stifled the urge to call Risi for the hundredth time that morning.

The coffee shop buzzed with activity. People headed off to work with their lattes and scones. She sipped at her caramel macchiato, reading over the newest projections on her laptop for the cosmetics line debuting in March. The numbers looked promising.

Iris jumped when her phone vibrated on the table. She snatched it up and read the caller ID. “Finally.” She swiped the screen to accept the call. “Risi———“

“Where have you been?” Uncle Phillip’s demand surprised her.

Why did Uncle Philip have Risi’s phone? Iris opened her mouth to answer her uncle’s question, but he spoke first.

“I oversee the estate. You answer to me.”

“Twisting the truth again, Uncle. Iris and I sign off on everything,” Risi said, her tone unusually sharp. “You’re just a watchdog, there to ensure we adhere to the terms of the will. You have no real power, but you’ll do anything to steal it away, won’t you?”

What? Iris had never heard her sister talk to their uncle in such a disrespectful and spiteful way, or anyone for that matter. Why did her sister call and not say anything to her? Maybe she’d pocket dialed?

“Risi, it’s me. What is going on?” Iris got no response. Uncle Phillip continued to speak over her.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, my dear.” Uncle Phillip’s soft voice belied the steel in his words. “Don’t make me ask again. Be a good girl and tell me where you’ve been.”

This time, her sister answered, but didn’t explain a damn thing. “Uncovering your dirty secrets. I know what you did,” her sister accused.

Secrets.

Butterflies in Iris’s stomach fluttered like a flock of birds taking flight. The uneasy feeling she’d carried with her these last days intensified.

Iris gathered up her laptop and notebook, stuffing them into her oversized tote. She dumped the dregs of her coffee in the trash on her way out the door. The penthouse was only a block up from her favorite café where she had breakfast every Tuesday when the household staff had the day off. She kept the phone to her ear and headed home to find out what the hell was going on.

“You won’t get away with this.” Risi’s voice rose in pitch. It took a lot to rile her sister. Whatever Uncle Phillip had done touched a nerve.

“Whatever you think you know doesn’t amount to anything without proof.” Her uncle used that chilling, yet utterly calm voice.

Iris picked up her pace, sensing the escalation of the situation into something more than just an argument about company business. She pulled her bag close to her side under her arm and ran for the building, knocking elbows and shoulders with other pedestrians. No time to apologize, she ignored their outraged remarks.

“Oh, I have proof.”

Proof of what, Iris wondered.

“You’re lying.” Uncle Phillip let out a nervous laugh.

“You wish.”

Iris passed her building’s doorman and ran for the elevator, pushing the button three times, frantic for the doors to open.

“Where is it? Show me.”

Come on. Come on. Iris screamed in her own head. The elevator doors finally opened and she rushed inside and pressed the button for the penthouse. Iris prayed she didn’t lose the cell signal and drop the call. She only ever got one bar in the elevators.

“You think I’d be fool enough to bring it here? To you? I’ll see you in jail before this day is over.”

“I’ll see you in a grave first.”

The ice in her uncle’s tone frosted Iris’s heart. The evil laced there erased all trace of the man she knew. He meant those ominous words.

Risi gasped and let out a startled shriek. Iris didn’t want to believe her uncle actually struck Risi, but that’s what is sounded like.

“What. Did. You. Find?”

“Everything,” Risi sputtered.

What? What are you talking about? Iris asked continuing her internal monologue.

“If you’re lying to me———“

“Let me go. It’s over. There’s nothing you can do. I can prove you did it.”

Did what?

“Don’t look at him,” Uncle Phillip snapped.

Him? Who else is there? Iris had so many questions.

“Please, do some——“

“He’s not here to help you, you stupid girl. He works for me. Everyone works for me. You should have left well enough alone.”

Risi shrieked again. Iris’s heart dropped into her stomach.

“This is your final chance. Tell me where it is and I’ll make this quick. Don’t and I’ll take my time. You’ll know the meaning of the word ‘pain’ when I’m done with you.”

Touch her and I will make you pay. Iris’s anger and fear were intensifying.

“Go to hell.”

“Where is it, you little bitch?”

“You will pay for what you’ve done. I’ll never cave.”

“Tell me what I want to know, and maybe I’ll show you mercy.”

“You won’t……….get……….away…………..with this,” Risi stammered, something choking off her words. “The truth will…………roll out. Come out.”

Something about the way she said it the first time struck Iris, but her mind couldn’t process anything right now. She slammed her palm against the elevator doors, wishing the damn thing would hurry up.

Please, Risi, get out of there. Iris pleaded, hoping the bond they shared as twins would somehow deliver that message.

“Last chance. Where did you hide it?” The intensity in his voice sent a shiver up Iris’s spine.

The elevator doors finally opened. She ran down the hall to her door, shoved it open, and nearly tripped over the suitcase Risi left in the middle of the foyer. Where had she been?

Iris shoved the cell phone in her purse and turned toward the voices coming from the other room.

“If you won’t help me, I’ll find someone who will.”

Who is she talking to? Iris was so confused.

“Uncle Phillip, please. Put the gun down.”

“Where. Is. It?”

“I’ll never tell you where I hid it.”

Iris ran across the living room toward the open library doors. Her gaze locked on her uncle’s outstretched arm, the gun in his hand level with her sister’s chest. Her father’s blood red ruby pinky ring winked in the morning light streaming through the windows.

“Tell me,” her uncle yelled.

“Never.”

“Then you’re of no use to me anymore.”

The crack of the gunshot stopped Iris in her tracks. Her sister’s eyes went wide when the bullet plowed into her chest. Blood blossomed over her cream colored sheath dress, like some gruesome poppy. Risi wilted in slow motion into a heap on the floor. Her legs kicked in a quick jerk, and she never moved again.

Iris stood frozen, rooted to the spot just outside the library doors, her gaze fastened on her sister’s lifeless brown eyes.

“Damnit, we needed her alive,” a man she couldn’t see said from inside the room. It took her a second to place the voice. Detective Singh.

What is he doing here? Why didn’t he help?

Self-preservation kicked in and she scurried to the side of the door before the men off to the side saw her. Hands shaking, her stomach in knots, a whirlwind of thoughts circling her mind, but nothing explained why her uncle killed her beautiful sister. It couldn’t be, she denied the stark reality. She leaned over and spied through the crack between the open door and frame.

Uncle Phillip knelt next to Risi and touched his finger to her bloody neck. “If I’d had more time, I could have gotten her to talk.”

“You mean if you hadn’t lost your temper.”

Iris’s heart broke into a billion sharp pieces that slashed her soul to shreds. Her other half——-gone. The emptiness engulfed her. She covered her mouth with both hands to hold back the scream of pain rising up her aching throat. Her eyes filled with tears, and Risi’s face, the same one Iris saw in the mirror each morning, swam in front of her. 

Uncle Phillip stood, tugged at one shirt cuff and then the other to straighten his crisp white shirt. Her father’s ruby cuff links sparked with a glint of light from the overhead chandelier. He ran a hand over his more gray than dark brown hair, smoothing it back. Composed again, he turned to the door. Her breath hitched and stopped. She thought he saw her. His next words startled her even more.

“The stupid girl doesn’t know when to quit.” He pulled a handkerchief from his gray slacks pocket and wiped his sweaty face, devoid of wrinkles thanks to his many trips to the dermatologist for Botox injections.

“You’re lucky she called me. That she saw me as a friend.”

“Did she tell you what she found?”

“No. She asked me to meet her here. Her confidence in whatever she had on you convinced me to take her seriously. If she actually had something and shared it with anyone, you’ll go down for everything.”

“Don’t think you won’t fall with me,” her uncle threatened.

The detective moved forward, blocking her view of her uncle, and stared down and Risi. “What do you want to do with the body?”

Risi was a body. Bile rose in Iris’s throat.

Her uncle clinked open a crystal decanter at the bar across the room, pouring himself a drink of the expensive bourbon he preferred. She prayed he choked on it.

“Give me a minute to think.” The ice in his voice melted and turned less definitive and more hesitant.

“We need to find that evidence. If it falls into the wrong hands———“

“Shut up.” Her uncle sounded as out of control as she felt. Her insides in chaos, not a single thought of what to do taking shape in her mind.

“We need to retrace her steps over the last few days. Find out where she went. Who she saw. We’d have the state attorney and FBI banging down the door if she gave the evidence to anyone. She hid it somewhere. We need to find out where and get it.”

“Easier said than done. She was smart.”

“Not smart enough to pull this off. She contacted you without ever considering your association with me. She was naïve.” He toed Risi’s still body with his Italian leather shoe.

“Our business arrangement has been mutually beneficial, but if you think I’ll be your patsy, you’re wrong. So, think, damnit, where would she hide the evidence?”

“I don’t know.” Her uncle slammed the empty glass down on the desk. “But Iris might.”

“Do you think Risi told her what she uncovered?” Detective Singh asked.

“No. Risi asked me and the staff several times if Iris came home or called. I’m almost certain Risi worked this out on her own and left her recalcitrant sister out of it.”

“Almost certain isn’t good enough. Why the hell didn’t you cover your tracks better?”

“I did.”

“If you did, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Iris needed to call the police and have them arrest these two for killing her sweet, gentle sister. But the police were standing right there, helping to destroy her life.

The room was silent for a moment, and Iris was certain they’d hear her ragged breathing. She jumped when her uncle spoke again.

“Detective, let me tell you a story.” Uncle Phillip’s voice went eerily calm. “Our studious, prim Risi earned her master’s degree and worked as an executive at the company to satisfy the terms of the will and earn her place at West Enterprises. Sadly, her princess party girl twin sister barely made an effort, working in the mailroom and every other odd job at the company. While it satisfies the general terms of the will for them to inherit and take over the company on their upcoming twenty fifth birthday, Risi carried the weight and shouldered all the responsibility for the business.”

He continued with the Detective nodding as he followed along. “Risi finally had enough and confronted her sister right here in this room. Iris, party girl that she is, had been out all night and was high, not at all in her right mind. The fight escalated. Iris knows I keep a gun in my desk drawer. She grabbed it and shot Risi. She panicked, but somehow had the presence of mind to try and cover it up, making it look like a robbery gone wrong. With Risi gone, she will inherit the company and other West assets.”

“It’s heartbreaking, isn’t it? Such a pity. Risi had such a promising future. I couldn’t be more heartbroken,” Detective Singh knowingly smirked.

“Set the scene, Detective, and then find Iris. Take her to a hotel. Not a dump, but not extravagant either. She’s hiding out. Make the place look like she’s been on a bender, drinking, doing drugs. The pain and grief sent Iris over the edge. She OD’s. No one will question it. Use your contacts in the police department and morgue to prove what happened…….make the evidence show Iris murdered Risi.”

“This is more than I signed on for,” Detective Singh said.

“Don’t think you’re so indispensable. There are plenty of others on my payroll in this town, higher up the food chain than you, that would do my bidding without blinking.”

“I’ll get it done. I’ll need to use some of those contacts to pull this shit off.”

“You know who to use to make this clean. I want all the evidence, reports, and public perception to corroborate the scenario I’ve outlined.”

Uncle Phillip knelt by Risi and used his handkerchief to remove her diamond stud earrings. The ones their mother always wore. He unclasped Risi’s bloody necklace with the pendant of a heart made out of roses that matched Iris’s. Iris reached up and wrapped her trembling fingers around the one against her chest and sighed. Risi’s ring came next. Iris had given her the emerald encircled with diamonds for their twenty first birthday. The night that they shared a quiet dinner in an exclusive uptown restaurant and planned their future and fulfilling their parents’ wishes and dreams for them.

She took a step forward to snatch back the ring and everything else her uncle took from them. She wanted to claw his eyes out and see him in a grave. Not her beloved sister. Not Risi.

Uncle Phillip handed the bundled items to the detective, except the bloody locket.

“What are you going to do with that?” The detective indicated the gold necklace her uncle tucked away in his pocket.

“Don’t worry about it. Do your job. The one I pay you extremely well to do.”

Her uncle went to the bar, grabbed a towel, and wiped down the gun. He wrapped it in the towel and handed it to the detective. “The household staff knows I keep this gun in the top drawer of my desk. Unlocked. Easy enough for Iris to take it and use it on her sister. Plant it, along with the drugs and alcohol, at the hotel room. Make sure the report show’s Iris’s prints are on the gun and it is a ballistic match to the bullet in her. Tomorrow morning the staff will arrive for work and discover the body. You’ve got until then to find Iris and kill her.”

Iris had wasted enough time. She needed to get away. Fast.

Her gaze fell on her dead sister. Her soul pleaded with Risi to wake up and make this all just a bad dream. But Risi remained motionless on the floor.

Iris backed away from the door, walked a wide arc around the living room to stay out of their line of sight, and rushed back to the foyer.

“What the hell is that?” The detective asked.

“Risi called someone.”

Oh God, they found her phone. Iris thought.

“Shit. She called her sister.”

The panic squeezed her gut tight. If they discovered her, she would be dead. Iris grabbed her sister’s suitcase, coat, purse, her own tote, and slipped out the door, closing it with a quiet snick of the latch. Maybe she would find a clue in her sister’s belongings.

She rushed to the elevator, hoping to outrun the detective before he came after her. She took the elevator down and walked through the lobby and out the door. The doorman took the coat draped over her arm. “Let me help you with that, Miss West.”

She mechanically stuffed her arms in the sleeves of Risi’s favorite cobalt blue coat——-she had forgotten her own in her rush out of the coffee shop. Her sister’s scent brought tears to her eyes. She blinked to keep them at bay. The doorman hailed her a cab, and she tossed her stuff in the backseat and slid in, checking the front of her building to be sure the detective hadn’t come down and spotted her escape.

“Where to?”

Iris couldn’t think past the fear and grief eating away at her insides. She didn’t know where to go, who to turn to that she could definitely say wasn’t in her uncle’s pocket. Detective Singh would check with all her friends. She couldn’t risk going to one of them and putting them in danger.

Her gaze fell on her sister’s suitcase and the baggage tag still on the handle. She didn’t know the CCC airport code. The purse lay on her lap, her fingers clutching it in a death grip. She made herself relax and unzip the bag. She found the airline ticket voucher inside. Central City.

Why did you go to Montana? Iris wanted desperately to ask her sister.

They hadn’t been back to the family ranch since their father died in a plane crash when they were fourteen.

“Where we off to?” The driver asked again, pulling her out of her dark thoughts. A plan started to form.

“LaGuardia airport.” She barely choked out the words.

She would retrace her sister’s steps, find out what she’d been doing the last three days, where she went and who she saw. She would find the evidence Risi died for, and God help her uncle when she did.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will focus on the introduction of Barry Allen.

Circle Bar Tee Ranch

Barry Allen put the quarter horse through its paces around the corral, stopping him short to make an abrupt turn, then pulling on the reins to make him back up. All in all, he liked the horse’s attention and readiness to follow commands. His brother Oliver trained the animal well. The horse would be a fine addition to his new ranch and a big help with the cattle due to arrive in six weeks. Barry couldn’t wait to take over West Ranch. He’d worked his ass off to earn the money to buy the place. Once the deal closed, he would have everything he ever dreamed of: the huge spread with wide open meadows, rolling hills, rivers snaking out over the land, grass as far as the eye could see for cattle. A livelihood he could depend on, and a legacy he would leave to his kids. If he ever found a woman and had some kids.

After Patty left him standing at the alter all alone, turning her nose up at his little ranch, the plans he had to build it into something more, and a quiet life as his wife and the mother of his children, it couldn’t just be any woman. He needed to find the right woman. One who wanted the same kind of simple but meaningful ranch life he wanted. Since he bought West Ranch, he had a hell of a lot more to offer now than he did when Patty left him.

Finished getting a feel for the horse, he rode over to the rail, stopped next to Oliver and dismounted. He ran his hand over the horse’s flank.

“You did a fine job with this one. Where’d you find him?”

“He’s one of DeVoe’s.”

“Something about that guy puts me off. Don’t get me wrong, his horses have the bloodlines, but I don’t like the way he runs his ranch.”

“Me either, but you asked for the best I could find. Hank is gentle, attentive, a hard worker, and a fast learner. He’ll suit you.”

“Hank? You named him already.”

“I’ve spent the last six weeks training him. I couldn’t keep calling him horse.” Oliver grinned and patted Hank on the white patch on his brown forehead. The horse leaned in and closed his eyes, completely enamored and content with Oliver. Barry had to admit, his brother had a way with horses.

“How do you like it here at Circle Bar Tee Ranch?” Barry asked.

“I love it.”

Though Oliver trained quarter horses for cutting cattle, he was making a name for himself training Thoroughbred racehorses.

“The partnership with Ralph working out? It’s been a few years, you ready to get your own place?”

“Naw, I like it here. I’ve found exactly what I wanted and more.”

“I’m glad you’re happy man.”

“You must be chomping at the bit to get into the West place.”

“I can’t wait.”

“I still can’t see you rambling around that huge house.”

“It’s the stables and pastures that I’m more interested in.”

“Please, that house is beyond awesome.”

Yeah, it certainly would appeal to that elusive wife he kept looking for.

“Did you get it cleaned out like the owner asked?”

“Get this, I’ve dealt solely with Phillip West, but Risi West showed up the other day.”

“What’s she like? Spoiled little rich girl?”

“Hell if I know. I only spoke to her for a couple of minutes. I met her in the driveway. She wanted to know what I was doing there. When I told her Phillip requested I put the contents of the house in storage, she told me to leave the place alone and tore out of there. You would have thought the hounds of hell were after her.”

“So you didn’t pack the house?”

“No, I did. Moving trucks showed up fifteen minutes later.”

Oliver frowned. “Why didn’t she want you to touch anything in the house?”

“She didn’t say.”

“Did you tell her you own the place now?”

“I don’t own it until escrow closes in nine weeks. That’s the deal.”

“Did you tell her that?”

“She didn’t give me a chance. Come to think of it, she thought he sent me to find her.”

Oliver frowned and narrowed his eyes. “That’s strange.”

“I had my orders from her uncle and delaying the inevitable seemed stupid. The stuff sat in the house for the last ten years untouched. People like them, from the city, more money than they know what to do with, they don’t care about all that land. Hell, Eddie Thawne took over running their prime cattle, and that guy’s just this side of worthless, and they don’t give a shit. So, yeah, I cleaned out the house. When the deal goes through they’ll still have all that stuff sitting in the lockers Phillip rented. With those people, it’s out of sight, out of mind.”

“Too bad you didn’t get the cattle as part of the deal. That would have saved you some big money getting the place set up.”

“Tell me about it.” Barry rolled his shoulders to ease the ache.

“Still sore.”

“I’m too old to be riding bulls and roping calves. I leave that to Cisco.”

“You won the bull-fighting championship. Again.”

“It felt good to beat our little brother one last time. I got the last of the seed money I needed to pay for the cattle.”

“When do you expect delivery?”

“The day I move in. Things will be tough the first year. I sank everything I have into this deal, but after that, the sky’s the limit.”

“You’re on your way.” Oliver gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s load this guy and get you moving. The snow will pass us by here, but you’ll meet it head on. It’ll be sunset in another hour.”

Barry led Hank to the gate Oliver held open and walked him straight to his truck and trailer. He unstrapped the saddle and pulled it off, handing it over to Oliver, who took it inside the stables to turn it on the rack. Oliver walked out carrying a brush and handed it to him. Barry tossed the saddle pad Oliver’s way, and his brother caught it and took it inside too. Barry shook his head and thought of them back on their parents’ ranch, always working together to get the chores done. He missed those days. Now that they were all scattered——-Ralph in Colorado with his new wife, Sue; Cisco traipsing all over Texas, Arizona, and Nevada riding rodeo; and Oliver here———it wasn’t often they all got together at one time. He missed being with his brothers. Even though they had all been adopted after his parents couldn’t have any more children after Barry was born, they all felt like blood brothers to him. Maybe Oliver was right about him rambling around that big house alone.

He thought often these days about having a wife and kids. Seeing Ralph last month with his pretty bride, how happy they were together, made him think of finding someone special, instead of someone just for tonight, or this week, or this month. Tired of roaming, he wanted to settle down to a normal ranch life like his parents shared and Ralph found with Sue. The life he planned to have with Patty before it all fell apart.

Oliver slapped him on the back, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“Go anywhere interesting in that mind of yours?”

“Just thinking about Ralph and Sue.”

“Never seen two happier people.”

“Me either. Maybe that will be us someday.”

“Let’s hope,” Oliver said, surprising him with his candor. Whenever they talked about women it was to give each other a hard time or brag about some conquest. They never talked about getting married and settling down.

Barry brushed Hank down before leading him into the trailer and changing out his bridle for the halter. With the horse settled into the trailer, Barry stepped out, closed the gate, and faced Oliver.

“What do I owe you for the feed and training?” Barry pulled out his wallet, but his brother put his hand on his arm.

“Call it a housewarming gift from me to you.”

“It’s not necessary,” Barry tried to argue.

“It’s a gift. I can’t wait to come out and see your new place once you get settled.”

“I’ll probably need some help when the cattle arrive to get them into the right pastures.”

“I’m there. Just give me a call, and we’ll set it up.”

Barry gave his brother a hearty hug and smack on the back. He wanted to stay, take his brother out for a beer and some food, but sunset came early this time of year. Just after four in the afternoon, it’d be dark in another hour.

Barry sat in the cab of his truck and started the engine, cranking the heater to ward off the cold. Thirty three degrees, the temps would plummet come dark. With the snow coming, he needed to get home without delay.

“Hey, drive carefully. Sorry you’re getting a late start.”

“My own fault. I wanted to spend time with you.”

“I’ll see you soon. If not, definitely in six weeks when you take over the West spread.”

“See you then.”

“Was she pretty?”

Taken off guard, Barry narrowed his gaze and asked, “Who?”

“Risi West.”

He didn’t even have to try to recall that sculpted face, those brown eyes, the sweep of her dark, shiny hair over her eyebrows and tucked behind the curve of her ear. She smelled like warm vanilla with a hint of intoxicating spice.

“Yeah, she’s pretty.” Gorgeous. Stunning. Unforgettable. Fragile, but he caught a glimpse of steel when she found out about him clearing the house and ordered him to stay out.

“Maybe she’ll come back.”

Barry smirked at his brother and shook his head. Oliver gave him a lopsided grin, obviously reading that Barry indeed thought she was more than just pretty. Barry hit the gas and left his brother in the dust, but not the thoughts he’d had of a beautiful woman in a blue coat with a face he couldn’t forget.

Barry concentrated on the slick road. Due to the earlier rain, he slowed down considerably on the back roads. When he hit the highway farther north, rising up toward the pass, the rain turned to snow and slowed him even more. Way past schedule. The sun had set nearly an hour ago and visibility was getting worse by the minute along the two lane road. If he didn’t have to worry about the horse and trailer, he would make better time. By morning, he’d need a snow plow to clear the roads if this kept up all night. Right now, it didn’t look like the snow would stop anytime soon. 

Tired after a long day and in need of a hot drink, he scratched at his rough jaw and thought about all he needed to do when he got home. Settle Hank into the stall he had prepared in the stables that morning. Crack open a couple of cans of stew for a late dinner and make a pot of coffee. Grab the clothes he kept tossing over the seat and take them to the laundry room. Tomorrow he would do all the laundry. He would also get the guest room cleaned up in case Cisco dropped in for another visit.

His phone rang, and he checked the caller ID. Speak of the devil. He hit the button on his steering wheel for the hands free to answer.

“What’s up Cisco?”

“Checked out your Black Angus beauties at my buddy’s place.” His brother’s voice filled the truck cab. “Man, those are some prime beef cattle.”

“They ought to be for what I paid,” Barry grumbled.

“Like I said, they are a bunch of beauties. Get them certified organic and you’ll make a killing.”

“Well, it’s going to take some time, but once I get the certification and the breeding program up and running, I hope to start turning a decent profit.”

“I confirmed the delivery and verified all the records and bloodlines for the cattle. You are good to go, man.”

“Thanks, Cisco. You saved me the trip down to Nevada. How are things going with you?”

“Rambling around, kicking ass on the rodeo circuit. I am ranked number two behind Mick Rory.”

“You’ll catch him.” Barry had all the confidence in the world his brother would not only catch Mick but beat his ass by the finals. Cisco wanted that prize money and a chance at setting up his own place.

“No doubt. Got a run, man.”

“Hot date?”

“Always. You should try it sometime. You spend far too much time alone with your horses.”

“Horses are less trouble than women.”

“Women smell better.”

Barry chuckled. “I’ve got other priorities right now.”

“Doesn’t hurt to have some fun.”

“You’re having plenty enough for me and half the men in Montana.”

This time Cisco laughed. “That’s for sure.”

“So go have your fun.”

“You used to come out with me. I miss those days.“

“I don’t.” After Patty, he left his ranch and rambled around on the rodeo circuit, chasing the thrill of the ride and every woman he could get his hands on, until he woke up one morning with another “buckle bunny” beside him and no idea what her name was. He didn’t care. She had scratched an itch, but left him empty. They all did. He had used them to fill up the emptiness inside him that grew with every meaningless encounter. He had needed the thrill of the conquest, knowing he could seduce a woman into his bed. But he woke up and realized that’s all they wanted from him, because that’s all he had to offer. If he wanted to build a life with a woman, he would have to have something more to offer than meaningless, mindless sex. So he came home to build something he could be proud of, a life someone would want to share with him.

“I miss hanging with you, but not the reckless lifestyle. I’ll leave that to you bro. See you when the cows come home.”

“I’ll be there.”

CIsco hung up. Barry couldn’t wait to see Cisco when the cattle arrived. Cisco promised to help him get things set up on the ranch.

Barry didn’t hold back the smile, thinking of Cisco, his wild at heart brother, and Oliver, living his dream, training racehorses. Barry worked incredibly hard over the last three years to pull together the money he needed for his ranch, to buy the cattle, and finally have everything he ever wanted. Still, Cisco‘s words rang in his head. Have some fun. Seemed he had forgotten how to do that these last year‘s living alone at his place, barely going into town for more than supplies. When it came to the women a few new ones had moved to town, but mostly they were the same faces he had seen growing up, and none of them appealed to him.

He wanted something different. Something new. Someone who challenged him.

Eyes that were soft and brown and beautiful, the same ones he had thought of ever since he saw her, floated into his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter we will see the path that takes Iris on the road to meet Barry. Comments and kudos are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris arrives in Central City, but her horrible day is just getting worse.

Iris spent the cab ride to the airport trying to hold herself together and devise a halfway decent plan. She dug through her sister’s purse for any other clues and came up with nothing but a drawing of the heart shaped locket they both wore. Risi had drawn tiny roses, one after another, to form the heart around their initials, R. W. and I.W. She had drawn an arch over the heart with a rosebush on both sides. Lovely. Her sister always had a talent for doodling.

Iris held the paper to her heart, closed her eyes, and let the overwhelming sense of loss engulf her. She would never see Risi again.

Aside from the slip of paper, her sister’s wallet, keys, her favorite scarlet lipstick, a half eaten bag of airline peanuts, and mints, nothing told her what her sister had done over the last three days, except rent a car. She carefully tucked her sister’s things back into the purse.

Why Montana, Risi? Iris thought to herself.

She squeezed the bag to release her pent up anger. Something odd pushed against her fingers. She set the bag back on her lap and checked inside again. Nothing accounted for what she felt, so she ran her fingers over the lining and felt the outline of a rectangular card. Her sister had carefully slit the seam by the zipper and used double-sided tape to hold it closed. She pulled the lining free, revealing the fake ID tucked inside. Her sister had pilfered Iris’s fake driver’s license, which she had bought off an artist friend who turned out to be an excellent forger of paintings and documents when the money was right. Eighteen and looking to get into some of the more exclusive clubs in the city she had bought the ID under an assumed name. It came in handy when she didn’t want to be Iris West.

If her guess was right, her sister used Iris’s license to buy a plane ticket under the false name and rent a car. Why the secrecy? Why the need to be someone else and not leave a trail?

Whatever her sister was up to, Iris vowed to finish what she started. She too would see her uncle behind bars—-or in a grave—-for killing her sister, and whatever other heinous crimes he had committed. The man deserved a hell of a lot worse for what he had done.

She thought of all those things she and Risi had talked about doing now that the next chapter of their lives was about to begin. Run the company. Travel to distant lands and explore the world. Fall in love with the right man. Get married. They would serve as each other‘s bridesmaids. Have babies. Live full lives until they were old spinster’s drinking tea and sharing photos and stories of their grandchildren.

She wiped the tears away as easily as her uncle had taken away that future.

In six weeks, she turned twenty five, and if she didn’t put her uncle behind bars, and he succeeded in framing her for her sister’s murder, he would take over the company and holdings her parents left to Iris and Risi. He’d get everything and have the power and money to get away with murder.

Never going to happen. Not as long as she still had a breath in her body.

“We’re here. What airline?”

Iris checked her sister’s ticket stub, the one breadcrumb she had left behind. “Delta.”

The cab pulled up in front of the departures terminal. Iris didn’t hesitate. The sorrow filled her, but with her grief she felt a profound sense of purpose. She marched up to the ticket counter, handed over her fake ID, and booked a flight to Central City, using the cash she gathered between her bag and her   
sister’s, which left her with a little more than five hundred dollars.

The flight didn’t leave for two more hours, but she would get to Central City by three in the afternoon. She hoped to get to the ranch to begin her search for whatever her sister discovered before it got dark.

The monotony of the security line only gave her more time to think. She didn’t want to let her mind take her back to the penthouse library and her sister’s lifeless eyes, but the scene played out again and again and again in her head. She couldn’t stop it.

So many what ifs came to mind. She second-guessed everything she did and didn’t do. What if she stepped in to help her sister? Why didn’t she call the police? What if she found the evidence her sister said she had and it still wasn’t enough to arrest him? What if he got away with killing her sister?

She passed through the security line in the automatic fashion everyone else did, following the person in front of her. She ignored the stares and whispers. If the grief felt this heavy to carry, surely it showed on her face, because she couldn’t even muster a fake smile to make others believe she was okay. She would never be okay. Not ever again.

Shoes back on, cell phone and her laptop packed back in her bags, and free to roam the terminal and walk to her gate, she made one last stop at the ATM. Between her debit and credit cards she managed to withdraw twenty five hundred dollars. If her uncle tracked her to the airport with the withdrawals, he still wouldn’t know which flight she took, thanks to the fake license.

After ignoring the other passengers on the plane and crying herself to sleep, she awoke just as the plane touched down in Central City. She exited, ignoring the flight attendant’s sympathetic look, and followed the other passengers to baggage claim, where she picked up her sister’s bag. Without the ability to use her credit card to rent a car, she hopped into a cab.

“Where are you headed, miss?” The older man gave her a concerned glance in the rearview mirror. She caught her haunted reflection. She should have stopped at the restroom to clean the smeared makeup under her eyes from crying.

“Home.” The ranch had been her favorite place as a kid. Large, looming mountains stood as the backdrop to the stone and timber house with the huge windows. She had loved the rustic, comfortable feel of the house compared to the elegant penthouse her parents kept in New York.

“What’s the address?”

“Uh, sorry. Forty two West Rd.” Since her father bought the property and paid for all the utilities and the road they built out to the house, he used his favorite number for the address and named the road after the family.

“I’m not familiar with it,” the driver said, punching the address into his GPS. “That’s quite a drive. There’s a storm up past the town of Infantino. I can get you there, but you’ll need to stay overnight in town, or find someone with four-wheel drive who can get you through the back roads.”

Resigned and at the mercy of the gathering storm clouds in the distance, she nodded her agreement.

She used the long drive out of Central City’s wide valley to clean herself up with the make up wipes she found in her sister’s toiletries that she dug out of the small suitcase. Eyes puffy and red, she would never win a beauty contest, but she looked and felt better.

The drive relaxed her, unlike the turbulent flight. She hadn’t eaten since last night, lost her appetite completely this morning seeing her sister murdered, but now her hollow stomach ached. Maybe if she took a minute, had some coffee and a snack, she could think straight, take the edge off her raging headache, and figure out what to do next.

How far would her uncle go to find her?

Easy, he would simply hunt her down like an animal.

“Where can I drop you, miss? This rain will turn to snow up where you’re headed.”

Lost in her own dark thoughts, she hadn’t seen the rain pouring down in sheets, or heard the fierce wind whipping against the car. She checked out the small town around them and spotted a coffee shop next to a motel. If she couldn’t find someone to take her to the ranch tonight, she could at least get a cup of coffee, a meal, and a warm room.

“Please drop me off at the coffee shop. I’ll find my way from there.”

“You got it.”

She paid him the sixty four dollars for the ride, plus a tip, and collected all her belongings.

“I’ll help you out, miss.”

“No, don’t get wet on my account. I’ll manage.”

Grateful, he smiled at her in the rearview mirror. “Suit yourself.”

Lucky for her, he pulled up close to the front door, but even in that short distance, her hair and shoulders got drenched. Thanks to the deep puddle she stumbled in, her suede ankle boots were not only ruined, but soaked through. A gust of wind pushed her through the front door. She shoved it shut and turned to face the room; many of the patrons’ gazes found her. She felt like a bedraggled wet cat with her hair dripping down her face and neck. She wiggled her freezing toes inside her wet socks and took a deep breath and let it out. Nothing she could do about it now.

She took a seat at the nearly empty counter and dumped her tote and purse on the seat beside her. A waitress bustled over from the two older gentleman at the other end and asked, “What’ll it be for you, honey?”

“Coffee, please.”

“Special’s the meat loaf and mashed potatoes. We got a pot of broccoli cheddar soup and some nice warm bread if you’d like.”

“I’ll take the soup and bread. Thanks.”

“You okay, honey?”

“No. No, I’m not. But I will be,” she vowed, thinking of taking down her uncle. Better to think about that then her sister’s cold, dead body lying on the library floor.

The waitress, Caitlin according to her name tag, poured her a mug of coffee and set a bowl filled with creamer cups in front of her. “I’ll have your order in just a minute. You just sit there and get warm.”

Iris slumped in the chair and wrapped her frozen hands around the mug, hoping that one day soon her insides would warm again and she’d feel something other than frozen fear and cold hate for her uncle.

Caitlin set a steaming bowl of soup in front of her and a plate of warm bread rolls with a plastic cup of butter. Iris slit the side of the roll and slathered butter inside to melt. She did the same with the second roll. By the time she scooped up a spoonful of the soup, the smell had started to work on her. One bite of the sinfully thick and rich, creamy concoction and she nearly felt human again. Her insides warmed. She took a big bite of the roll. Melted butter dripped down her chin. She wiped it away with her paper napkin and quietly worked her way through her meal, the loss of her sister keeping her head in a mind numbing daze.

Finished, she looked around for the first time. Besides the seats at the counter facing the cooking area, a row of tables draped in red and white checked tablecloth with four chairs around each ran behind her down both sides of the diner. Past those and along the outside wall were booths with worn red vinyl seats. Overhead pot lights cast a soft glow over the room. Above her and along the rest of the counter were drop pendant lights with red glass shades. Nice. Country cute.

While she ate, customers trickled in, filling nearly every table and booth. Only a handful of seats remained available at the counter. She needed to decide what to do for the night.

Caitlin dropped by and held up the coffee pot. “Refill, honey?”

“No thanks. I need to get home, but in this weather I’m not sure there’s a taxi or other means to get me there.”

“Where you headed?”

“West Road out on 170.”

“You’re going way out there?”

“Yes, but I don’t have a car. Do you know how I can get there.”

Caitlin looked over her head at a man paying his bill at the small counter by the door. “Hey, Eddie. You headed home?”

“It’ll be slow going in the snow, but yeah. Why?“

“This nice little lady needs a ride out to West Road. Can you take her on your way?”

“Well, now, it’s past my way, but I can certainly take the pretty lady where she needs to go.”

Iris eyed Caitlin with apprehension about leaving with a stranger. Especially one with unwashed hair, four days worth of beard stubble, and a rip down the front leg of his grease stained overalls.

Caitlin patted her hand on the counter. “Don’t you worry none. He’s mostly harmless.”

“Come on now, Caitlin, you know I’ve been sweet talking you for years.”

“It’s never worked with me, or any woman I know,” she shot back, laughing.

A few of the other customers barked out a laugh and a crude comment about Eddie’s nonexistent love life. He smiled and took the good natured ribbing in stride.

“Trust me, honey, he won’t bite. If you don’t go now, who knows how long it will take you to get there, what with the way the weather changes around here.”

Caitlin had a point. The rain had given way to a soft but steady snowfall. Pretty; Iris wished her sister was here to see it. They had so loved the snow and coming to this part of the country. They would sit in the huge living room window at the ranch and stare out at it for hours, playing with their dolls or a game of chess. She had loved to beat her sister at Chinese checkers. The memory made her eyes glass over. She blinked the tears away. Plenty of time to grieve later. Right now, she needed to get to the ranch and find out what her sister had been doing here.

“If you don’t mind, I’m happy to pay you for your trouble.”

“No trouble at all to drive a real pretty lady like you wherever she wants to go.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate this.”

She gathered her belongings, paid her bill, leaving Caitlin a generous tip, and followed Eddie out of the diner into the frosty weather. The sun had set and the snow fell against the backdrop of the dark night, highlighted by the diner and city lights. The snow quickly covered her hair and clothes. She shook as much off as she could before climbing into Eddie’s truck cab. The smell of sweat, dirt, and manure, along with the stench of tobacco from the beer bottle in the cupholder filled with chewing tobacco spit, assaulted her nose. Her stomach lurched. She wrinkled her nose and cracked the window to let in some fresh air.

Eddie slid behind the wheel and gave her a leering smile. She sat up straight and folded her hands in her lap, her bag and tote stuffed at her feet. She sighed out her relief when he pulled out of the parking lot onto the main road and headed out of town. Though the heater in the old truck worked it barely took the edge off the crisp air coming in through the cracked open window. She gave up the fresh air in favor of warmth, especially with her wet hair and feet.

She finger combed the wet strands away from her face, trying to get the last of the ice out. Eddie took his gaze from the road to roam it over her from head to toe.

“So, what brings you to these parts? You don’t look like you’re from around here. Where are you from?”

She wondered if he would shut up and let her answer. Not that she wanted to, but if keeping him talking kept him from staring at her breasts and his eyes on the icy roads, she was all for the chit chat.

“I flew in today from New York City.”

“I took you for a city girl.”

What gave her away? The suede boots. Her too thin pants and sweater. The full length coat more suited for a night out to dinner in the city than a snowstorm.

“Why are you headed out to West Ranch? Wests haven’t been back since the plane crash. I heard they might sell the place. Is that why you’re here?”

The pain of her parents death felt as raw today as it did when she was fourteen. Today, though, that pain was mixed with the loss of her sister and the dreams they’d had for their future together, finally taking the helm of all their parents left behind.

“Um, yes,” she choked out. “The company sent me to check on the house. For the family.”

“Are they thinking of selling?” he asked again.

No way would she ever sell the house. In her mind, it held all the memories of her and Risi with their parents. Those were the happy days when her father didn’t work and her mother didn’t rush off for luncheons with friends. At the ranch, it was just family.

God, how she missed those simpler times.

“No. The ranch will always belong to the West family.” Well, to her. She was the only one left.

“That’s what I thought. So, how long are you staying? Did they ask you to check on anything else besides the Wests home?”

That sounded odd, but she didn’t know what else her family owned here besides the house. If memory served, they would only ever come to spend vacations together, riding the horses in the spring and summer and skiing in the winter.

“Right now, my only concern is the house. Why?”

“No reason. Just making conversation.”

The tires rolled on over the road and she focused on the fluttering snow and hoped they didn’t hit a patch of ice and crash. That would make her uncle happy, and the last thing she wanted to do was please him in anyway. No, she planned to destroy him one way or another. He thought she had spent the last years of her life fooling around and playing a party girl. Well, he didn’t know who he was up against, and his ignorance and indifference to her would serve her well.

“I am so tired of the cold. Once the sun goes down, temperatures plummet this time of year.”

“I guess I should have packed my warmer coat,” she said lamely, turning to the side window and rolling her eyes. Nothing about this guy appealed to the senses. Unpleasant to look at, his gut hung over his waistband, and his overstretched shirt rode up on his hairy belly. His ruddy cheeks and nose made the rest of his face look pasty white. If that wasn’t enough, he needed a shower. Bad. But the way he kept looking at her made the creepy crawlies dance up her spine and over her skin. She hoped the roads stayed clear enough for them to make it to the ranch quickly. “How much farther is it?”

“Only about another twenty miles. Don’t worry. We’ll make it. I drive through thicker stuff than this all the time.”

“It’s just I’m cold and I can’t wait to be inside so I can warm up by a hot fire.” She only hoped the house still had the electricity turned on and wood for the fireplace. Either way, being at the house would be better than sitting next to Eddie.

“If you’re cold, come on over here, little cutie pie. Good ol’ Eddie will keep you warm.” He reached over and traced his fingers over her shoulder and down her arm.

“Really, thank you, but I am fine.”

“You’re all wet, ain’t ya?”

She didn’t like the suggestive way he said wet. It made her feel as dirty as the look in his eyes.

“Best way to get warm in weather like this is to use each other‘s body heat. Lord knows this old truck’s heater can’t keep you as warm as I can.”

While she thought of a response, he reached over, grabbed her thigh, and pulled her leg closer to him. Too intimate and totally inappropriate. Fear washed through her chest, and she gasped, swatting his hand away. “Stop that.”

All he did was chuckle, but she didn’t find any comfort in that creepy sound.

“Come on, honey, scoot on over here and give good ol’ Eddie a little somethin’ somethin’.”

“Look, I’m not interested in anything but a ride.”

“I’ll give you the ride of your life.”

After the day she had, her trepidation turned to anger. “Really. This is how you think women want to be treated?”

“The way I see it, sugar, you’ve got two options, me and this truck, or that there snowstorm.”

Trying to appeal to his sense of decency, if he had one, she said, “What will Caitlin and all those other customers back at the coffee house say when they find out you dumped me on the road?”

“All they’ll know is what I tell them. That I fucked the hot chick in the front seat of my truck.”

“Not a single one of them will believe I gave into you.”

“Think you’re something special, do you?” He reached for her again, but she smacked his hand, stinging her fingers and hopefully his hand as well. He pulled back from her, but checked the mirrors and slammed on the brakes in the middle of the deserted road.

“If you haven’t noticed, bitch, we’re all alone out here. No one will know if you and I did the nasty, so stop all this fussing. Come here and show me some appreciation.”

“All I want is a ride. I’m willing to pay you for it, but I am not sleeping with you to get it.”

“Just a little something for my trouble.” He reached for her again. This time his fingers dug into her thigh. He pulled her closer, leaning in to kiss her.

She leaned back, out of his reach, and pushed at his shoulders with her hands. The fear returned. Her heart thundered against her ribs. “Eddie, stop. You don’t want to do this. You don’t even know me.”

“I know you’re probably the most beautiful woman who will ever come through here, and I want you.”

“Well, you can’t have me, you bastard. Let me go.” Her voice pitched high. Her nails dug into his hand, and his fingers clamped around her leg. Since he kept pulling at her, she unlatched her seat belt, turned her legs toward him, brought her feet up, and smashed them down into his lap, her heels digging into his groin. He bellowed in pain like a half mad bull. 

She scooted back into the door and turned back to sit in her seat properly, her feet tangled in her bag strap. What am I going to do? Iris asked herself. She stared out the window; nothing but empty land quickly disappearing below a blanket of white snow. Not a building or another car in sight.

Eddie leaned forward, moaning and holding his groin, rocking back-and-forth. “You bitch. That fucking hurt.”

She didn’t expect the big guy to move that fast, but he lunged across her, grasped the door handle, opened the door, and shoved her out before she could grab on to anything. She landed hard on her hip and side in the ice slush. Her foot remained stuck on the strap of her tote. Eddie tried to close the door on her leg, but only managed to twist her ankle and bruise her more. Frustrated, he shoved her bag out with a grunt and slammed the door. She scrambled back farther into the snow to avoid getting run over when Eddie hit the gas, spun the tires in the ice, and took off, leaving her in the middle of nowhere.

The snow fell thick and steady. She tried to stand, but slipped and fell onto her bruised side again. She needed to get help. If she was cold before, she was freezing now. No way she would survive the night in this weather. The temperature had already dropped several degrees since she arrived at the coffee shop an hour ago. With light traffic out on the roads, she would be lucky to flag someone down. Her best hope was for a snow plow to come by.

Did they even run those this far out of town?

Her spirits dropped with each passing moment that no headlights appeared from either direction. She held out hope that someone would pass by on their way home.

She thought of her cell phone tucked in her bag. If she turned it on and the detective helping her uncle discovered where she was, she’d be alive, but she’d have to leave Central City, which meant losing her chance at learning what Risi had found——-and any hope of nailing her uncle to the wall.

If things got worse, she would have no choice but to risk turning on the phone and trying to call for help. But, she figured, there was probably no cell service out here anyway.

Options limited and getting worse, she limped along the road back to town. It didn’t take long for her feet to freeze. Her ears were burning. Numbness. She was numb from the inside out. She tried to keep her coat tucked around her neck and body, but the whipping wind pulled it this way and that, letting the icy breeze and snow down her neck and shoulders. If only Eddie had tossed out her suitcase, too. Then she could use the spare clothes and socks to keep warm. At this point, the rain and snow soaked every article of clothing she wore.

She might not have a lot of survival skills for wilderness life, but she could add cold and wet and come up with death.

She needed a miracle. With every step she took, she prayed, “Someone, please, help me.”

Over time, that prayer became more than just someone to save her from this icy road. She needed someone to help her prove her uncle’s guilt. With the cops in his back pocket and who knew who else, she was in over her head.

Her gaze wandered back up to the sky and the falling snow, and she begged, “Please.” 

The headlights came out of nowhere. Or maybe she lost focus again as the cold sapped her energy and made it more and more difficult to take a step. Everything inside her wanted to sit down and rest, but she pushed on toward those headlights and hoped they were real and the person stopped.

Hope rose up in her chest as the truck drew closer. She waved her arms to get the driver’s attention. They didn’t slow down. Oh God, they didn’t see her!

“STOP. PLEASE,” she screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, thank you for reading this chapter. I know it was a long one, but I hope you enjoyed it. Poor Iris. She is having a terrible day but next chapter she meets Barry Allen and their story together begins. Your comments are always welcome and appreciated.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris finally meet as Barry saves Iris from dying.

Barry shook off thoughts of beautiful, rich women he would never have a chance with or see again and focused on the road. Snow danced across his windshield, swept away by his pulsing wipers. Hungry, he reached across the seat for the paper bag of snacks he picked up on the trip down to see Oliver. He came up with an empty bottle of water and tossed it to the floor. His fingers brushed over the bag of pretzels, but he couldn’t quite reach them. He leaned to the side, grabbed his prize, and brought the bag to his mouth, tearing the corner. He spit out the wrapper and dumped a few into his mouth. He chewed, eyes glued to the road ahead, focused on the thickening snow. He slowed even more. Caution over speed the better choice in weather like this.

A strange blue object flashed momentarily in front of his headlights on the side of the road. Surprised, he reflexively hit the brakes, but the truck slid on a patch of ice, swerved, and glided to a stop.

“Shit. What the hell was that?”

Unnerved, he hit the emergency lights and got out to investigate. He pulled his coat around his neck to keep the snow from running down his back. Cold, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and made his way on the slippery pavement back to the trailer. Hank whinnied and stomped a hoof on the metal floor.

The wind shifted and whipped the snow this way and that. He swept his gaze along the road, looking for any sign of the mysterious blue thing. Flurries obscured his view, making visibility difficult. Then, he saw it. Something flapped and fluttered in the breeze on the side of the road about fifteen feet away. Everything inside him stilled. He narrowed his gaze on the blue splotch, quickly fading beneath the dusting of snow. The wind kicked up again, pushing on his back, and making him take a step forward. In that moment, his gaze traced the outline in the snow, and he registered what he was looking at. A person.

He ran before he knew what he was doing and fell to his knees beside the crumpled figure. He reached out and ran his hand over the coat he recognized from the woman who wore it, sitting in her vehicle, telling him to stay away from her, now his, house.

“Risi.” Her name barely made it past his lips. The woman with the captivating brown eyes that haunted his thoughts. He couldn’t figure it out. Beautiful. He’d appreciated the way she looked, but he hadn’t felt the pull before the way he did right now.

Barry ran a shaking hand over her frozen hair and pushed it away from her face, practically buried in the snow. He pressed his hand to her shoulder. She moaned and turned to her side, flinching and letting out an anguished gasp when she rolled over her hip. He helped her settle onto her back. Her ice-covered lashes fluttered and those brown eyes stared up at him, though just like the strange feeling he got, they weren’t exactly the same as he remembered.

“Risi, are you okay? What the hell are you doing out here in this weather all alone?”

Tears filled her eyes and rolled down the sides of her face into her hair, the moisture freezing on her face.

“Are you hurt? Can you get up?” He didn’t wait for an answer and ran his hands over her arms and legs. Her thin black pants were soaked through, along with her boots. Wet and heavy, her coat had a thick layer of ice on it. She shook all over, her teeth chattering. He cupped her freezing face in his hands and hoped she focused on him. “Risi, are you okay?”

Every time he said her name, she cried harder. He didn’t know what to do, but leaving her lying in the snow wasn’t an option. Her lips had gone blue along with the tips of her fingers. If he didn’t act fast, she would die of hypothermia.

He slid his hands beneath her, pulled her to his chest, and stood with her in his arms. She let out another gasp and locked her jaw in a grimace that made his chest ache. She surprised him and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck. Her ice cold face pressed to his skin. He leaned into her to give her what warmth he could without pulling her close and hurting her more.

Heavier than he expected, she didn’t seem that big. He took two steps and realized something kept bumping against his calf. He kicked his leg out and felt the bag hit his leg again. He glanced at her feet and the strap wrapped around her ankle. No time to free it now, he ignored the nuisance and hurried to get her into his truck. Not so easy to get the passenger door open, but he managed without dropping her. He planted one foot on the running board, shifted to the side, and hauled both of them up and slid her onto the seat so her head lay at the driver’s side. With the wind blowing at the other side of the truck, the cold worked its way into the cab, but not the snow. Thank God.

Standing on the running board, he got to work, pulling her short boots off first and then her soaking socks. They landed next to the empty water bottle he tossed to the floorboard earlier. He unwound the huge purse strap off her leg and ankle and dumped the bag on the floor with a heavy thud. She lay quiet on the seat. Though he hated her crying, he found her silence even more disturbing. He didn’t like the look of her grayish yellow toes. He rubbed his hands over her feet to get her circulation moving. Still, her wet pants remained plastered to her cold legs. With a shake of his head and a determination to save her, he reached up to the button on her pants and undid them. He pulled the cold, wet material down her too cold legs and tossed the wet mess to the floor, too. His gaze swept up her toned legs to the black lace panties that highlighted the rich brown tone of her skin. His stomach turned over when he saw the huge splotch of red and purple on her hip.

“What the hell happened to you?”

He laid his palm over the nasty bruises and pressed his fingers into her hipbone and down the top of her thigh, feeling for anything out of the ordinary. She squirmed and moaned, but didn’t really wake up.

Thank God he’d barely been crawling home in the storm, or he might not have seen her. If she spent another minute in the storm, she could be dead. The thought nearly stopped his heart. Sick with worry, he wished his cell phone worked out here. He would call the police, an ambulance. In this weather, they would take nearly an hour to get here anyway, and he knew Risi didn’t have that kind of time. He needed to take care of her and get her to the clinic. Fast.

Both his hands lay on the soft skin of her thighs. He squeezed and whispered, “What the hell were you doing out here, walking on the road in the dark, during a snowstorm?”

She didn’t answer, so he refocused his thoughts to saving her. He needed to get the soaking wet coat off her that did nothing to keep her warm at this point. Water dripped off the ends onto his boots. He pulled the sleeves down each of her arms, trying not to move her too much. He wrapped one arm under her knees and lifted her slightly to pull the coat out from under her. Her head rolled to the side and she tried to pull her legs free. Now that he had the wet clothes off her, he reached over, turned the key, and started the truck. He adjusted all the vents to blow down on her and soon the heat pumped out at full blast. All he had to do now is keep her warm and get her to the clinic.

And idea sparked, and he leaned over the seat and rummaged through the back, pulling out two flannel shirts, a pair of sweatpants, and, yes, a thick flannel jacket he wore to his buddy’s place for poker night last week.

He laid the jacket over her chest and tucked it around her arms. She still wore her gray sweater, but it wasn’t thick enough for this weather. City girl. Didn’t know what she was doing out here in the country during a snowstorm. He’d thought she left after he saw her at the house. Guess not. But how did she end up out here without her car? Maybe he would find it broken down up the road. Still, she should’ve been smart enough to stay in it and not try to walk back to town in this weather.

He slid his hand down her calf to her ankle and took hold to push her leg into the sweatpants. A hell of a lot easier to undress a woman when she was awake and participating. Redressing one while she was passed out took a hell of a lot of work and was a lot less fun. Still, he managed to get both her feet in the legs of the sweats. Bruises marred one of her ankles, along with a mark from the strap of her huge purse. He didn’t like the way it looked, but couldn’t do anything about it now. He pulled the pants up past her knees, but needed to jostle her to get them over her hips. He barely got them to the tops of her thighs when her eyes popped open and the girl came to life, grabbing at his hands to push him away.

“Stop. Don’t. Leave me alone,” she pleaded, pushing him away and trying to kick and push him out of the truck with her feet.

To stop her from fighting and hurting herself, he lay down the length of her and took her face between his hands, making her focus on his face just inches from hers.

“Risi, it’s me, Barry. We met the other day at the ranch.” Her eyes went wide, and she stopped pushing against him. Everything in her went still. Her eyes swam with unshed tears. “I found you collapsed on the side of the road. I’m trying to get you warm.”

“C-c-cold.”

Her body shook beneath his. “I know, stop fighting me, and I’ll get you warm. I’ll take you to the clinic to get you checked out.”

“No!”

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Your lips are blue, you’ve got frostbite on your toes, and your fingers don’t look much better. How did you get out here?”

“He left me.”

“Who?”

Her eyes fell closed. He wanted to shake her and get her to wake up and tell him who the hell left her in the middle of nowhere. She could’ve died. That thought pulled a tight band around his chest and made it impossible to breathe.

He tucked the coat around her again, making sure her hands were laying on her stomach and warm beneath the coat. He pulled the sweats up and over her hips and took the two flannel shirts and wrapped one around each of her feet. Hanging out the door, he pulled her legs up and turned them so her feet lay on the seat. He slammed the door shut and ran around to the driver side and climbed in beside her. With her head at his hip, he stared down at her blue and frozen features. Drawn to her, he traced his fingers over her beautiful face.

The urge to protect and help her pushed him to hurry. He maneuvered the truck into an odd three point turn that took a lot more than two or three forward and backward moves due to the trailer and the two lane road. Most of the shoulder was covered in thick snow and the last thing he wanted to do was get stuck. He headed back to town and the clinic he hoped wasn’t too busy.

Worried like he’d never felt before, he brushed his fingers through her wet hair, pulling it off her face. The heater pumped out hot air, making him wish he had taken his coat off and put it over her too, but he endured the heat because she needed it. He laid his warm hand on her cheek and hoped that little bit of comfort helped. He didn’t know what else to do.

He pulled into the nearly deserted lot and hated to leave Hank in the trailer, but he knew Risi needed to see a doctor. He shook Risi’s shoulder to wake her. Warm now, her eyes fluttered open, locked on him, staring down at her from over her, and she shot up, twisted, and leaned back into the passenger door in a defensive position that made him hold up a hand to let her know he meant no harm.

“Easy, Risi, it’s just me, Barry. We’re at the clinic.”

“I’m not going in there. Just let me out.” She looked down at the clothes he put on her and frowned, obviously not remembering him undressing and re-dressing her in his clothes.

“I’m not keeping you here, but you need to see a doctor before I let you go anywhere on your own.”

“I can’t.”

“I’m not giving you a choice.” He turned and opened his door, slipping out and shutting it. He made his way around the front of the truck and pulled open the passenger door. She sat with her hands in her lap, head down, a look of utter desolation on her face.

“If I go in there, and they take my name and credit card for the bill, he’ll find me.”

“Who?”

“Please. I have to go. I can’t be here.”

Every instinct in him wanted to protect her from whoever she thought was after her, but he needed to make sure she was really okay. Her color looked better, but nothing could make him forget the horrible black and blue marks on her hip. What if she had internal injuries? In her weak state, she didn’t have much fight in her, so he took the decision out of her hands and picked her up, pushing the door shut with his back.

“Please, put me down. I have to go.”

“You’re not going anywhere without shoes.” The shirts had fallen off in the truck when she woke up. Her small feet didn’t even poke out the bottom of his sweats, which under any other circumstances would have made him smile, but not when she winced and tried to hide the pain every time he took a step and jostled her in his arms

He hooked his finger in the door handle, pulled it open enough to get his foot inside, and kicked it open wide enough to allow him to get past without hitting her.

“Put me down, please.”

She must be feeling better to use that uptown tone with him. She wanted down, but some part of him wanted to keep her close. She wiggled in his arms, so he held her firm to his chest. She let out another pained moan and collapsed into him, laying her head on his shoulder. She hadn’t lost all her fight though.

“Please get me out of here.”

“In case you forgot, my name is Barry. Barry Allen. I live near your place, so the neighborly thing to do is make sure you are okay.”

“I just need to get to the ranch.”

“Let the doctor check you out, and I’ll take you there.”

“Promise?”

At this point, he would promise her anything to get her in a room with the doctor.

“Hey, Barry, who’s this?” Becky, the receptionist, asked. He’d been in here enough times for stitches or a cold or flu bug over the years. Small towns, everyone knew everyone. Except he didn’t know the woman in his arms, but he wanted to.

She stiffened in his arms, so he avoided saying her name in the lobby filled with a couple and their coughing kid, the older couple huddled in the corner, and a guy holding up his hand, a dish towel wrapped around it.

“I found her collapsed on the side of the road. She’s got possible frostbite on her toes and a severely bruised hip.”

“Anything else?” Becky asked.

“My ankle hurts.”

He frowned down at her lying on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, avoiding him.

Becky handed her a clipboard. “Fill these out, including your insurance information. You can take her into room three to the right. There’s a gown on the table. Take off the pants and sweater and put it on, ties in front. I’ll get Dr. Bell.”

“I don’t know him. Is he any good?” Barry asked.

“She is young, but excellent. Super smart. Graduated medical school top of her class at twenty two. Did four years surgical residency in Star City and is now specializing in orthopedic surgery. Cisco keeps on with his reckless ways, he may need her someday.”

Barry nodded, because she might be right about Cisco needing a specialist if he kept getting thrown by broncos and bulls. Nature of the game in rodeo. Barry had the aches and scars to prove it.

He carried her into the exam room, set her gently on the padded exam table, sitting with her legs out, hands braced at her back. He gave her a few minutes to rest and filled out the form himself with the pertinent information and set the clipboard on the end of the table.

Barry handed her the gown. “Need my help to get your clothes off and that on?” He asked without the slightest trace of an innuendo in that simple but loaded question.

Iris shook her head no.

He walked back out the door, turned, and said, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Iris didn’t doubt he meant a minute. So far, he didn’t seem the type to leave her alone for long when he insisted she get medical care for what she believed were only minor injuries.

She pulled her sweater over her head and drew the gown up one arm and then the other. She’d just managed to pull it closed in front when she rolled her aching shoulders and groaned. Everything ached after the bone chilling cold sucked up all her energy.

A knock sounded on the door a second before it opened just enough for Barry to be seen. He kept his eyes on the door frame and asked, “Are you decent?”

“Barely.” Most people would say not at all about her lifestyle, but in this case, she was covered. She liked his manners and the way he averted his gaze until she gave him the all clear.

He came into the room and closed the door behind him. His gaze locked on hers when he stood next to her, leaned in, and grasped both sides of the sweat pants and pulled. She planted her hands on the table and lifted her hips so he could pull the pants down her legs. His eyes never dropped to her bare skin, but remained on her face, even when he reached for the sides of the gown and pulled them down to cover her thighs. Finished, he traced a finger over her brow, drawing her damp hair away from her face and tucking it to the side. She held her breath having this big man so close she could see the flecks of blue in his green eyes. Strange, she didn’t feel the need to pull away, but she wanted to get closer.”

“Are you okay?”

“Stiff and sore, but I’m fine.”

His frown said he didn’t believe her. His warm eyes said he cared. He took a slow step back before he shifted his gaze and took a seat in the chair in the corner to wait for the doctor.

Iris bit her bottom lip and tried to think. She needed to get out of here. She needed to get to the house and figure out why her sister came here. “If you’ll bring in my bag, clothes, and boots, you can go.”

“You are just hell-bent on getting rid of me. Yesterday you ordered me to stay away from your palace, city girl.”

“It’s just a house.”

“In case you didn’t notice, this isn’t exactly the place of mansions and luxury cars you’d find clustered around the ski resorts. Around here, we drive trucks and live in normal houses.”

“My house is normal.”

“Only if you’ve got a family of fifteen living there.”

“It’s not that big.”

“Just over ten thousand square feet. Five bedrooms, seven baths, an apartment over the garage, and a guest cottage out back. Stables for forty horses, timberland for miles, a pond overflowing with trout, three rivers that run across the property for more fishing. Nearly seven thousand acres of prime land, including three solar powered wells, several hundred acres of dryland hay, and thousands of acres of rangeland you haven’t stepped foot on in more than ten years.”

Because she couldn’t go back there after her parents died. She couldn’t be in that place and remember everything she lost. The love. The laughs. The memories they had shared under that roof. It was too painful. Now, to return without her sister. The only one left in her family, besides her uncle and some distant cousins, it didn’t bear thinking about. “How do you know all that? Why do you care?”

The door opened, preventing him from answering. Dr. Bell walked in carrying a folder. Surprised to see someone so young in her position, Iris relaxed at the site of the doctor’s warm smile and intelligent eyes.

Dr. Bell picked up the clipboard and tucked it under her folder. “Hi there. I heard you were stranded out in the freezing cold.”

“Yes.”

“Could you elaborate?” Dr. Bell coaxed.

“I found her on the side of the road about twenty five miles outside of town. I don’t know how long she’d been out there, but she might have frostbite on her toes, though they look considerably better now that I’ve gotten her warm,” Barry answered. “Her hip is banged up. Her foot was all caught up in her bag strap and her ankle hurts. Though the cold made her tired and less than coherent at first, she’s got all her brain cells firing again as far as I can tell.”

Dr. Bell reached out and covered Iris’s hand with hers, smiling softly. The simple gesture calmed and reassured Iris that Dr. Bell would take care of her. “How did you end up on the road alone in this weather?”

“You said HE left you there. Who?” Barry asked.

“Some guy named Eddie. Caitlin at the diner asked him to give me a ride, because he was going that way, I guess. Next thing I know he wants——-let’s see, how did he put it——‘a little somethin’, somethin’ for his trouble.”

“You told him to go fuck himself, and he got handsy with you,” Barry guessed, a menacing look in his eyes, pulling his lips into a tight line.

“I kicked him in the nuts and he dumped me on my ass on the side of the road. Literally. He still has my suitcase, which I need back.”

“That son of a bitch. We’ll get it back, or I’ll take it out of his hide.”

The way he said it, the flex in his forearms when he clenched his hands into fists sent a wave of heat and awareness through her.

“Sorry Doctor,” Barry said.

The doctor gave him a smile that he returned, and Iris felt a twinge of jealousy for no reason. She didn’t know this man. Of course, he’d saved her life, kept her warm, and got her to a doctor. She hated to admit she needed one. Everything hurt, but nothing so much as her heart and soul, missing her sister, feeling lost and alone.

She looked up and caught Barry studying her. She immediately turned her gaze to the doctor, who gave them both a look.

“Let’s start with the easy stuff. What’s your name?”

Iris swallowed hard. Moment of truth. Up until now, she hadn’t corrected Barry’s assumption. Mostly because she’d been kind of out of it. Plus, she let it go because it reminded her of all the times she and Risi traded places and tricked people. This was probably the last time it would work. She hated to stop the charade and live in the reality that Risi was dead.

She took too long to answer, so Barry did it for her. “She’s Risi West.”

Her gaze met Barry’s. She opened her mouth to correct him, but the pain of losing Risi choked off her words. She tried to hold it together and not think that no one would ever mistake her for Risi again now that she was dead. 

“Thanks, but I wanted her to answer this time.”

“I didn’t hit my head or anything. After being so cold, I’m tired, but my head is clear. Really, I’m fine, except for my hip and ankle.”

“All right.” Dr. Bell turned to Barry. “If you’ll give us a few minutes alone, I’ll check her injuries.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Barry held Iris’s gaze. “I want to stay while the doc checks you out and make sure you’re okay.”

“You don’t need to stay. Just get my things from your truck. Please.”

“I’m staying. Don’t mind me.”

“A little privacy would be nice,” she shot back.

“I’ve already seen you half naked. Believe me, right now, all I’m interested in are your injuries.”

Right now. As in later might be a different story. Maybe that was her own wishful thinking, because this man did all kinds of weird things to her insides. She wanted him to stay. She wanted him to go. And, oh God, how stupid of her, she wanted him to wrap his arms around her again and tell her everything was going to be okay.

“If you’re okay with him staying, let’s check you out,” Dr. Bell interrupted their stare down.

Ignoring him, Iris pulled the gown away from her right side to show the doctor her side. “Eddie shoved me out the door. I landed on my hip. My bag got caught on my ankle. He tried to slam the door, but smashed my foot instead. My ankle hurt, but then I walked on it for quite some time, slipping and sliding on the ice and snow, making it worse.”

“My God,” Barry said, shaking his head, a deep frown on his face, and rage in his eyes.

“Lie back and let me take a look at this side,” Dr. Bell said.

Iris settled on the table facing the wall. The gown fell down her back as the doctor ran her fingers over the worst of the bruised area, checking the bone. She bit back several yelps.

“Good, Risi. Now I want you to lie flat on your back.”

Every time someone called her Risi, a fist squeezed her heart, making it hurt all over again.

Iris complied and gave the doctor an appreciative smile when she closed the gown over her breasts. The lace bra barely hid a thing. Her nipples stood out against the black material. The doctor pressed on her side and over her abdomen. Satisfied she didn’t have any belly pain, the doctor clasped her hand and checked her fingers. She did the same with the other hand.

“Your hands look okay. No signs of frostbite.”

“The prickly needles stopped in the car a little while ago. My feet are taking a lot longer.”

“Her boots and socks were soaked through, along with her pants and jacket. Her hair was soaking wet and covered in ice. I got her into the truck, stripped off her wet things, and cranked the heater.”

“Fast thinking. Keeping her in those cold, wet clothes could have made the situation worse,” the doctor confirmed, working her way down her right leg, pressing on her calf, moving down to her ankle. She wrapped her hand under her heel and lifted her foot. Even that slight movement hurt when her ankle flexed. “Which way hurts more? This way? Or this?”

“Both,” Iris bit out.

“Looks like you’ve got a bad sprain, and a couple of pulled tendons and muscles. I’ll get you a brace to wear to stabilize your ankle while it heals. Your toes look okay. Do they still hurt?”

“Yeah, a little.”

“I’ll give you some pain meds before you go. All in all, I’d say you were very lucky. No broken bones, but that hip will ache for weeks. The bruise goes down to the bone. That will take time to heal.”

“Thanks to the weather and pulling the trailer, I wasn’t going that fast. I hate to think…….man, if I’d missed seeing you out on that road……….” Barry hung his head and ran his fingers through his short brown hair, raking it back.

She understood just how he felt. The gravity of what happened to her sister hit her hard on the plane after she’d had time to come off the adrenaline high and everything settled in her mind. The wave of grief and guilt would come again when she had too much time to think. Barry felt that now. He’d finished his tasks to keep her safe and make sure she didn’t die on him——-like she could have if he hadn’t stopped and saved her.

“Barry,” she said softly, drawing his attention to her. “I’m fine.”

Dr. Bell turned to the cabinet under the sink on the other side of the room and rummaged through a couple of drawers and found a black brace. She undid the straps and came back to slide it over her foot, securing the straps around her ankle. The added support did make it feel better.

“You’ll want to ice your hip and ankle a couple of times a day to help with the swelling. If it’s not getting better over the next week, come back and we’ll take another look. I expect it will take a couple of weeks before it’s completely healed. Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll grab your meds and come back with your paperwork.”

The doctor left. Barry stood and gently pulled the gown off her arms and tossed it to the top of the exam table without a word. He grabbed her sweater and pulled it over her head. At this point, she figured her hair looked like a rat’s nest, so she barely ran her fingers through the medium length strands to get them away from her face. Barry’s fingers lightly traced the bruises on her hip and the side of her thigh. The soft contact made everything in her go still.

“You must be in a lot of pain. I’m sorry that son of a bitch did this to you.”

Taken off guard by his sincerity, she put her hand on his hard shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“I’m not done yet.” He snagged the sweatpants and pulled them up her feet and hips.

She read the letters down her leg. Central City University. “I take it these are yours.”

“Cowboys also go to college you know.”

“I never said——-never mind. Thanks for letting me borrow them,” she finished, not knowing what she said to earn that defensive comment.

He stared at her for another long moment. “There’s something different about your eyes.”

She sucked in a breath and held it. People didn’t really notice the subtle difference in her and Risi’s eyes. They could fool just about everyone if they styled their hair the same and wore similar clothing. They resembled each other so closely, but if you looked at their eyes and noted the small flecks of gold in hers, compared to Risi‘s black flecks against the brown, you could tell them apart.

How long did Barry spend with her sister? She swept her gaze over his medium brown hair, handsome, rugged face, wide shoulders, and lean body. Not exactly her sister’s type. Risi liked cute, businessmen with a sarcastic sense of humor. 

Iris, on the other hand, liked tall, outdoorsy men. Probably why she didn’t date much. Hard to find an outdoorsy guy‘s guy like Barry in the city. Even now, despite everything she’s been through, she felt the tingle of attraction between them.

Dr. Bell knocked and came back in carrying a prescription bottle. Exhaustion and pain took a toll on Iris’s ability to think clearly. She just wanted to sleep and forget this day ever happened.

“Take two of these tonight before bed with something to eat. You’ll probably sleep late. Tomorrow, stick to one every four to six hours. This should get you through the next five days. If you need more, come back and we will evaluate your pain level and how well you’re healing.”

“That’s more than enough. Thank you for everything.”

“Stay warm and dry. Get a good night’s sleep. Becky will check you out at the front desk.”

The doctor handed Barry the paperwork and left to see her next patient. Iris waited for the doctor to leave before she addressed Barry again. “Listen, if you’ll get my bag from the car, I can pay cash for the bill. I don’t want to use my insurance card.”

“Why don’t you want to use your insurance or credit card, because I know you’ve probably got ten of them——-all of them platinum. Who is after you, Risi, and why?”

She opened her mouth to confess everything, but nothing came out. “It’s complicated.”

Barry’s brows drew together and his eyes filled with suspicions. “Right. In other words, none of my business. Fine,” he snapped, irritation in his voice. “Can you walk?”

“Sure.”

She slid from the table and landed on her good foot. She put her right foot down and applied some of her weight. The brace helped considerably, but her ankle still hurt. She took a step and limped, but she would make it.

“You got it?”

“No problem,” she assured him.

He held his hand out to her. She hesitated for a second, but took it. He kept his pace slow, allowed for her limping gait to keep up with him. She stood next to him at the counter. He handed Becky the paperwork, but never stopped holding her hand.

“If y’all want to use your insurance we can knock this down quite a bit.”

Scared of being discovered, she grabbed hold of Barry’s forearm. He looked down at her hand, then back at Becky. “No insurance. I’ll cover it.” He pulled out his wallet with his other hand and handed over his credit card.

“My money is in the truck.”

He gave her a look that said, Shut up, so she did.

“You’re all set,” Becky said after processing the credit card and Barry signed.

Barry led her to the door. Before she knew his intention, he scooped her up into his strong arms again. She eyed him. He gave her a lopsided smile, pushed the door open with his back, and took her out into the cold again.

“Can’t have you traipsing through the snow with no shoes.”

The cold hit her like a slap in the face. She wiggled her freezing toes.

“Snow stopped. That’ll be on our side getting back to the house, but the roads will be icy, so we’ll have to take it slow.”

Barry set her in the front seat of the truck, not winded in the least from caring her. He closed the door and went to the back of the horse trailer and disappeared from her sight in the side mirror. She waited several minutes for him to come back and get behind the wheel.

He stared down at the stack of money she’d left on the seat.

“You carry around this kind of cash everywhere are you go?”

“Not really. That’s what the platinum cards are for.” She tried to smile, but it never really touched her lips. “Is your horse okay?”

“He’s cranky, but fine. He’ll be happier once I get him into a warm stall.”

“I’m sorry I delayed you so long. You could have just left me here.”

He started the truck, but didn’t drive away. Instead, he turned that penetrating gaze on her again and stared at her for a long minute. “I’m not sure I can leave you anywhere.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it was a long one. My wish is that the content and flow kept you engaged the length of the chapter. I’m always excited, and usually anxious, about your thoughts on the chapter. Comments are welcomed and appreciated.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uncle Phillip and Detective Singh continue their dastardly plan against Iris.

Philip sat on the sofa in the living room, staring at the yellow police tape across the closed library doors. He didn’t need to be in the room to remember the scene. The image of Risi dead on the floor was burned into his mind. The blood and Risi were gone, but he saw both clear as day.

The wave of fear and fury that swamped him when they discovered Risi’s phone beneath her body rushed through him again. The call lasted eleven minutes. Iris heard everything. But how much did she really know? What could she prove? Does she have Risi’s so-called evidence? Where the hell was she? Not knowing the answer to those questions twisted his gut.

Dammit, Risi, you ruined everything. Philip thought to himself.

And now he had to clean up the mess. He would, and everything would be fine again.

Where the hell did Iris go? Philip had to find out.

The plan only worked if they found Iris and staged her overdose.

The detective set the scene perfectly. Mary discovered Risi’s body early this morning and called 911. Officers came to the house. Detective Singh took over the investigation and would mold the evidence and reports over the next couple days to fit the scenario Philip outlined.

Philip was properly shocked in front of the staff when he arrived home. Full of grief and disbelief and outrage that such a terrible thing could happen to his niece. Yeah, he’d yelled and ranted that whoever did this to his niece would pay.

When the detective raised questions about a possible motive with him in front of the staff, he’d hinted about their upcoming birthday and coming into their inheritance. That Risi had worked so hard for her spot in the company, while Iris had done the bare minimum to meet the requirements for her to inherit.

Philip played his part when he was called down to the medical examiners office to ID the body after he spent the night with the woman he kept, who catered to his specific needs. He had an alibi for the time of the murder. Everything would soon point directly to Iris.

Mary let Detective Singh into the penthouse. He walked into the living room. Philip waited for him to take a seat in the chair beside the sofa, so no one overheard them. Detective Singh’s smile encouraged him that the man finally had good news.

“Where is she?” Philip asked, keeping his voice low, despite the fact Mary retreated back into the kitchen past the dining room.

“I don’t have her exact location, but she used her debit and credit card at the airport yesterday.” 

“Yesterday? What time?”

“Around eleven thirty.”

“After Risi’s death and that damn phone call.”

“Yes.”

“Did you trace her phone?”

“She shut it off.”

“Where did she go?”

“I don’t know. She used her cards at an ATM to get cash inside the terminal. She must have bought her ticket with cash because the machine she used is past the security checkpoint.”

“Check all the airlines. Find her.” 

“I’m working on it. So far, I haven’t found her name on any airline.”

“Do you think she used another name?” 

“If she did, she’d need a damn good forged ID to buy the ticket and get through security. I’m trying to get the security video from inside the terminal to track her to her gate. If I can do that, I should know which flight she took. For all we know, Iris got on a private plane but with some random guy and is half naked on a white sand beach somewhere.”

The lust in Detective Singh’s eyes didn’t surprise Philip. Iris and Risi were as beautiful as their mother had been.

“If she left town yesterday and didn’t use her name to do it, she must know something, or at least suspect.”

“You think Risi told her what she found.”

“She didn’t just decide to hop on a plane without reason. Did you find out where Risi went over the last few days?”

“If she took a flight the same way Iris did, I have no idea where she went. I’m still checking her credit cards. Iris took priority.”

“If you’re not up to the task of finding her, I’ll get someone else.” The implied threat that he could quickly become dispensable registered in the detective’s wide eyes, which narrowed with concern.

“I’ve got this. I’ll find her.”

“Do it soon before someone else does. Like the press. She isn’t exactly anonymous anywhere she goes. Someone is bound to recognize her.”

“Maybe we should use that to our advantage. Instead of keeping the details from the press until we find her, let’s name her a person of interest in the investigation. I’ll bring her in for questioning when someone else tips us off to her location.”

“Let’s handle this quietly. If you don’t find her in the next couple of days and things heat up with the press demanding answers, we’ll have no choice. Go. Find her. Now.”

The detective left to do his bidding. Philip wrapped his hand around the tumbler, his knuckles stretched as he squeezed. He’d like to wrap his hand around Iris’s neck for disappearing. He took a deep swallow. The bourbon burned its way down his throat to his already sour gut.

The damn girl never did anything that was expected of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that chapter. It was very short and I will be posting chapter six immediately after I post this chapter. I want to keep the machinations of Uncle Phillip in their own self contained chapters. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy and doing well. Thank you for all the kindness and love that you all have shown me. It has truly helped my anxiety.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry has some questions for Iris after he makes a shocking discovery.

Iris woke up stiff and disoriented. Her ankle hurt, her side throbbed, but her heart felt broken in a way that would never heal. She gave in to a fresh round of tears. They ran down her cheeks, into her mouth, each one tasting of pain and sorrow. Uncle Philip murdered Risi. Why? What secrets did Risi discover? What was this really about? Money, the company?

Nothing made sense.

Risi had their father’s sense of trends in the marketplace. The ingenuity to take an idea and bring it to life. Iris had been the more practical of the two of them. If you ran the company and wanted to do it well and efficiently, you had to know how all the moving parts worked. She’d started in the mail room and worked in every department from the ground floor up. She sat in all the executive meetings, listening to one pompous ass after another talk about productivity and efficiency, but not one of those asshats knew how their mail got to their desk, how the IT department kept the computer systems they relied on up and running, how shipping and receiving kept the inventory in check and the customers happy. The marketing executives had big ideas and grand plans, but they often conflicted with engineering deadlines for having the products ready and shipping’s ability to deliver by the dates marketing wanted to beat the competition.

She and Risi had a plan for running the company. They’d sat up night after night talking about how they’d do things. How they’d make their parents proud.

Look at her now. Risi didn’t need her tears. She needed Iris to pull herself together, avenge her death, and put their uncle behind bars.

Get up and do something. Iris thought to herself.

She swung her legs over the side of the double bed and sat on the edge, letting her aching head settle and her muscles loosen. She stared down at the Kenny Rogers T-shirt and smiled. Not exactly the cashmere she was used to wearing, but she appreciated the loan.

She stood, slowly, keeping most of her weight on her left leg, and took a tentative step. It hurt, but she’d get by. Her bag and clothes lay on the chair. Her boots sat on the floor, ruined by the snow. She would have to get a new pair, something suited for this kind of weather. She didn’t know what happened to her coat. Barry must have hung it somewhere to dry.

Barry……..

She’d have to thank him for going above and beyond to take care of her, especially last night when he drove her to his place, afraid to leave her alone. She had gone quiet on him in the truck and stared out the window, hurting and thinking about Risi.

As much as she wanted to get to her ranch and investigate what her sister came here to find, she hadn’t wanted to be alone last night. She didn’t know Barry, but he had proven to be a good guy, someone who took his responsibilities to heart. He insisted she stay in his guest room. He had taken the time to change out the sheets on the bed his brother often used and gave her a clean shirt and sweatpants to wear for bed. She pulled them on now, smiling at having to really pull the drawstrings tight to keep them on. She bent and rolled up the bottoms so she didn’t trip on the too-long legs.

She opened the door and hobbled across the hall into the bathroom to relieve her overtaxed bladder. She washed her hands and groaned at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a tangled mess, her eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot thanks to her near constant crying, and her chocolate skin lacked its usual glow. She cupped her hands under the cold water and splashed her face a few times to take down the puffiness and put her hair in a makeshift bun. Ready to face the day, she went to find Barry.

*********************************************************************************

Barry had finished feeding the horses and his other chores for the morning. His houseguest still hadn’t come out of her room. He hoped she finally slept. He heard her crying in the middle of the night and he hated to think she hurt and couldn’t find any relief in sleep. He had wanted to go to her and offer what comfort he could, but he didn’t. He didn’t want to freak her out by having a strange man come into her room in the middle of the night, especially after what Eddie did to her.

He sank down on the sofa, snatched the remote, and hit the on button. CNN came on, and those eyes lit up the screen.

“New York socialite and heiress to the West fortune, Risi West, was found dead early this morning inside the library of her 5th Avenue penthouse apartment.” 

“What the hell?” Barry’s heart stopped.

“Investigators left the upscale building moments ago, but they did confirm Risi’s body was found around six o’clock this morning by a member of the West staff with a single gun shot wound to the chest. The police have not yet released information about the scene. At this time, it is unclear if Iris West, the victim’s twin sister, was home at the time of the shooting. Inside sources say Iris is missing. A party girl, known for club hopping and closing down bars, Iris often appeared in the tabloids for much more than her fashion sense. Sources say no one has seen Iris since the night before Risi‘s murder. The West family has a history of tragedy. Joseph West died in a plane crash 10 years ago. Francine West, grieving for her husband, committed suicide months later. The West twins are due to inherit the family fortune, estimated at four hundred and twenty million, on their upcoming twenty fifth birthday, leading some to speculate if the inheritance played a role in the crime. So far, police won’t say anything about a possible motive for Risi’s death.

Barry heard enough. He got up to confront Iris, but she stood behind him, gaze locked on the TV.

Somewhere inside him, he’d felt there was something different about her. “You lied to me. You’re not Risi. You’re Iris.”

“I never said I was Risi.”

“No. You just let me believe you were. Why? Because you killed your sister?”

“I DID NOT KILL HER,” she exploded, planting both hands on his chest and shoving him back.

Everything about her remained defensive, from the stubborn tilt of her head and chin, to her arms folded across her chest. The defiant gleam in her eyes turned to rage when she looked back to the TV and saw the press shout questions to the PR rep from West Enterprises, who stepped out of her apartment building along with a detective.

“Mr. West is devastated and grieving,” the rep addressed the crowd. “He will not make a statement. Please allow him the time and space he needs. When it is appropriate and more facts are available, the police or I will provide you with the information. Thank you.”

The rage and desolation roiled in her gut, knowing her sister lay on a cold slab and that vile detective did nothing to stop her uncle from putting her there. He stood before the cameras pretending to care with his pasted-on look of grave concern, and all the while he planned to find her and kill her.

The TV went back to a female reporter outside her apartment building. “Again, to recap, Risi West was found murdered this morning, a gunshot wound to the chest. Mr. West has not made a statement, and Iris West’s whereabouts remain a mystery.”

As the reporter talked, paparazzi shots flashed across the screen of Iris dressed in every sought after designer’s clothes with friends entering one night club after another over the last five years. She had to admit, her fashion sense stood the test of time. Simple. Classic. Provocative, but not promiscuous. Her mother wouldn’t have cringed, maybe frown a bit at the lack of coverage.

Barry didn’t look at the TV, but kept his steady gaze on her face. “Did you shoot your sister?” When she didn’t say a word, he shouted, “ANSWER ME.”

“I ALREADY DID,” she yelled back. She couldn’t make him believe her, but she really wanted him to. “I’m sorry I didn’t correct you when you thought I was Risi. No one will ever make that mistake again. She’s gone.” Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She needed to stop wallowing in the pain and do something to avenge her sister. “I need to go to the house.”

She didn’t wait to see if he would take her. She turned and went back to her room and closed the door. She leaned against the wood and hung her head, numb from the inside out.

“Iris, talk to me. What the hell is going on?”

“I need to go to the ranch. Either you take me, or I’ll find another way to get there.” She sucked in a ragged breath and bounced off the door, determined to set her grief aside and do what needed to be done.

“We’re not done talking about this.” No answer. Barry smacked his flat hand on the door frame. Short of busting down the door to get her to say something, talk to him about her sister’s murder, he was at a complete loss.

Did Iris kill her? He didn’t know. Not for sure. Right now, he’d give her the benefit of the doubt, because the grief he saw in her eyes was real. He hoped those tears, and the ones he heard her shed in the night, weren’t hiding her guilt.

He walked into the kitchen, thinking about the photos of Iris on the news and the reports about her. She lived her life on the edge, drinking, doing drugs, partying until all hours. He tried to put that together with the woman in his spare room, but he couldn’t make it quite fit. The woman he met last night and this morning seemed quiet, reserved, strong to endure all she had since yesterday. Not at all like the party girl they showed on TV. Strange. Intriguing.

With his mind full of questions, he waited for Iris to change clothes. He didn’t know why she wanted to go to the house, but he’d take her because it seemed important to her.

The TV weatherman rattled on about a storm in the Midwest. He found the remote and shut the TV off. He’d like to find out more about what happened——-and about Iris and Risi——-from Iris herself.

“I’m ready.” Her soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Iris, are you sure you’re up to this? Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look wrecked. The house will still be there after you get some rest. It’s best if you stay off that ankle for a few days. Sit down. Please let’s talk.”

“I don’t have time to talk. I need to go there.”

“Why? What does this have to do with Risi’s murder?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

Even more confused, he wanted to push, but didn’t. “Fine.” He relented. For now.

She limped, heavily favoring her good foot, toward the front door. Those ankle boots didn’t help in the least. The black pants hugged the curve of her hips and her toned thighs. Some part of him had paid close attention to every line and curve when he helped her last night. In the moment, he tried to focus on the task, getting her warm and making sure she didn’t have any major injuries. Last night, when his need for sleep overpowered his worry for her, he dreamed of those legs and that nothing of a swatch of lace covering her hips and sweet bottom. He stared at it now and pictured those lace panties. The matching bra had left nothing to the imagination. Her nipples stood out a soft brown against the black lace over sheer fabric. In his dream, she wasn’t hurt at all, but wrapped around him, his tongue tracing the top of her breast over that fancy concoction.

Stop! She’s your guest, not a fantasy come to life. So buck up and get your mind out of her pants. Barry thought to himself.

She opened the front door and the blast of cold made her take a step back.

“I forgot your coat. Hold on.”

He rushed into the laundry room off the back of the kitchen and grabbed her coat. “I left it on the warm dryer this morning when I washed your pants and sweater.”

Iris stared down at her pants, then back at him. “Where is my sweater?”

“I owe you a new one,” he admitted. He hadn’t bothered to look at the tag until after it went through the washer and dryer and came out four sizes smaller. “We don’t do much dry cleaning in these parts.”

Her pretty mouth quirked in a rare glimpse of humor. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I imagine it was really expensive.”

“No need to imagine. It was, but it’s only clothes. You went above and beyond taking care of me last night. I appreciate it.”

“I owe you a sweater.”

“All I want is a ride home.”

“Fine, but then we’re going to have a serious talk.” He held the coat up and she put her arms through the sleeves. He adjusted it on her shoulders and led the way to the door, holding it open for her to exit.

She stopped in the yard and stared at the two gray horses in the pasture. They snuggled close to each other to keep warm in the crisp morning air. Their breath came out in wispy clouds. Her eyes went soft and filled with unshed tears.

She cleared her throat and whispered, “We used to ride together when we came here. We loved the ranch. The horses. The mountains and valleys. In New York, I still rode, but she stopped. It reminded her too much of our time here with our parents.”

“You rode to remember them, your sister, and everything you had here.”

“We thought this place was magical. Our father spent time with us here like he couldn’t in New York. Not with all the demands on him for the company and other social obligations. Here, our parents took the time to be with us. It was special.”

“Who took care of you after they died?”

“Uncle Philip is our guardian, but really, we took care of each other. We’re identical twins. She is me. And I am her.”

“Like your names. Same letters rearranged, but still the same.”

She nodded and gave him a half smile to acknowledge how much she appreciated he got it in some small way.

“Sounds like you two were very close.”

“She was my best friend. My other half. The same as me, yet different in such lovely and beautiful ways. When I looked at her, I saw all that I am and so much more that was just her. She made me believe I could be all those extra things she was, because if she could be that, so could I because we are the same.”

Iris turned her back on the horses and opened the truck door, sliding inside and closing it again. She sat quietly in the car, staring straight ahead, utter despair etched on her delicate features.

Stunned by the depth of her words about her sister and how close they were to each other, Barry couldn’t imagine Iris ever hurting Risi.

He didn’t move for a moment, but stared at the horses and thought of his brothers and all the good times they’d had together as kids and now.

He walked back to his truck, got behind the wheel, started the engine, but didn’t drive away. Instead, he laid his hand over hers in her lap and gave it a squeeze to let her know he understood, at least in some part, how she felt. The sigh she let out echoed through him. He didn’t expect her to do anything, but she turned her hand and linked her fingers with his and squeezed, holding on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think about that chapter? This isn’t a particularly long chapter but it was challenging for me to write. I wanted to strike the right balance between Iris grieving her sister and not really wanting to talk about anything with Barry’s need for answers. I didn’t want Barry to push her and then she subsequently push him away. They both are experiencing a lot of feelings about the current situation they find themselves in and how they feel about each other. Anyway, I could go on forever :)  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Comments are always welcomed. I appreciate you all for reading this chapter.
> 
> And I need some feedback on one thing: Barry had a brief moment of explicit thoughts about Iris, I have labeled this story MATURE, but do you all think this chapter needed an additional trigger warning?


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris starts to put the pieces of the puzzle together, while Barry comes to a gut wrenching realization.

Iris stared out the windshield at the massive wood and stone custom home her mother designed and her father built for his beloved wife. They’d created a retreat for their family, not a lavish estate for impressing guests and business associates. Nothing like their Vail property.

Nothing had changed, except the trees looked bigger, more mature. No flowers this time of year, but in the spring the gardens would be beautiful in her mother‘s favorite colors. Blue camas, white asters, pink wild hollyhock, and bright yellow prairie coneflowers. The abundance of plants and flowers would bloom in a sea of color against the backdrop of the rocks and native grasses in the fields.

“Iris? Do you want to go inside?”

The feel of Barry’s hand in hers reassured her in a way she didn’t want to examine too deeply. Not now, when her emotions were so raw. His comfort made it that much easier to think of the past and remember her and Risi playing in the front yard, running across the wild expanse of grass, chasing each other. A flood of happy memories rushed over her. She welcomed them and the sense of happiness and family they brought. She tried to hold on to that feeling and not get swept away by the paralyzing realization they were gone, her uncle wanted her dead, and she didn’t know why.

Time for answers.

To thank Barry for his support and understanding, she raised their joint hands and kissed the back of his. His eyes went wide with surprise. He reached up with his free hand and traced the side of her face. She couldn’t help leaning into the whisper soft caress. His heated gaze swept down the length of her, settling back on their joined hands. She didn’t acknowledge the look, but understood exactly what it meant. He found her attractive. Lots of men did, but she long ago stop falling for guys who looked at her that way just because she wanted attention. With her twenty fifth birthday looming and the responsibilities it would bring, she had spent the last couple of years reevaluating her priorities and goals. She’d worked hard to catch up to Risi, to be the partner her sister deserved. Now, she’d have to do it on her own. The task seemed daunting, especially if she couldn’t unravel the riddle of Risi and their uncle.

She regretted letting go of Barry, but she did it to face what came next on her own. She needed to be strong for her sister’s memory. She pulled Risi’s purse from her tote and rummaged through the contents for the set of keys she discovered earlier. Determined to see this through, she exited the truck and walked straight up the snow covered flagstone walkway and steps to the front door. She inserted the key and stepped into her past, halting in the foyer, staring at——nothing.

The house was empty. All the furniture, paintings, rugs, knickknacks were gone. A beep sounded behind her. She turned to punch in the alarm code, but Barry did it for her.

Eyes narrowed, she glared. “Why do you know the alarm code?”

“I tried to tell Risi the other day. I met the movers and oversaw them clearing out the house.”

“Where did they take everything?”

“Storage units in Infantino.”

She took a step toward him, angry he’d kept this from her. She wondered what else he knew and if he had sold her out to her uncle. She glanced out the door, expecting a dark sedan to rush down the driveway, men spilling out to take her back to New York. Fear squeezed her lungs and made her heart stop.

“Do you work for my uncle?”

“No.”

“Did he send you here to find me?” She hated that her voice trembled.

“I found you on the side of the road nearly frozen to death. I barely know the man.”

“But you do you know him.”

“I’ve spoken to him over the phone a couple of times.”

“Why?”

“To close the deal for the sale of the ranch.”

“Are you a real estate agent?” That didn’t really compute with all she knew about him. He lived on a ranch, loved his horses and treated them like children if the way he pet and fawned over Hank last night when he pulled him out of the trailer and put him into a corral was any indication. She may have been out of it, but she recognized a fellow horse lover. He kept a neat and tidy home, despite the sparse furnishings. Still, she liked the homey feel he had created with pictures of his family on the mantel along with his belt buckles and rodeo trophies.

“No, I bought this place.”

“You own my house?”

“Yes. Well, not yet.”

“Which is it?”

“The deal closes on March twelfth.”

Surprised, she asked, “Who signed the deal?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who signed for the West family?”

“Phillip West. Why?”

“That greedy bastard. How much?”

“For the house and land?”

“Yes. How much?”

“One and a half million. I put up seven hundred and fifty thousand cash and financed the other half.”

She laughed, and the bitter sound echoed through the empty rooms. Pissed off and feeling surly, she snapped, “This is my house. It is not for sale.”

“I have the papers. This will be my house in a few weeks.”

“No, it won’t.”

Barry closed the distance between them and stared down at her. She had to tilt her head way back to keep eye contact. A mere few inches separated them. His heat wrapped around her in the cold house.

“The money is sitting in the escrow account and will be paid out on March twelfth and this house and land will be mine.”

“No, it won’t. Unless I’m dead.”

Barry took a step back at that ominous reply.

Yes, now she saw it. Her uncle planned her and Risi‘s death long before what happened to her sister. If she could think past her fear, grief, and anger, maybe she could figure all this out.

She took a calming breath to ward off the rage boiling in her gut. Barry deserved an explanation. She hoped what little she knew explained well enough.

“When did my uncle put the house up for sale?”

“He didn’t. Not really. I own the small piece of property next door as you know. I called him two months ago and asked if I could lease part of your land to run some cattle. We got to talking and he asked if I’d be interested in buying this place. Iris, what is going on? I see your sister here one day, she’s murdered, you show up the next, and now you’ve got to come here. You own this place, but you don’t know about the sale.”

“There is no sale.”

“Unless you’re dead. Explain that. Explain everything you aren’t saying to me.”

“I can’t. I thought it was here, but it’s not. Everything is gone.”

“It’s not gone. Just packed away. Tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll get it for you.”

She tilted her head and eyed him. “What do you mean?”

“I inventoried the entire house and oversaw the packing and moving. Everything is in storage in numbered and marked boxes. If you tell me what you’re looking for, I can check the list, find the box, and get it for you.”

“Did you pack up the sculpture that hung on the wall over there? My father built the intricate puzzle. I want it.”

“Is that what that was? I wondered. It’s in storage.”

“I also want the paining that hung over the mantel.” She pointed to the river rock fireplace that went from floor to twenty foot ceiling, with glass windows on both sides, in the great room.

“There wasn’t a painting.“

“Five by six foot. A field of daisies with two little girls running in white dresses, their arms outstretched to touch the flowers, their hair flying in the breeze.”

“You and your sister.”

“My mother painted it. I want it.” 

“Iris, there were no paintings on the walls, just family photos.”

“A Rembrandt hung in my father’s office. A Manet floral in my mother’s dressing room. Albert Bierstadt landscapes, probably ten of them, hung all over the house.” 

“His landscapes sell for tens of thousands of dollars.”

“Try millions. But they weren’t here, were they?”

“No. Iris, I swear to you, I didn’t take them.”

“I never said you did.”

“Is that why you and Risi came here? The paintings?”

“I…………I don’t know.” She didn’t know what Risi found at the house. Was that what she discovered her uncle doing? Illegally selling paintings from their properties? Selling their properties without their signature? How many of the other houses had he ransacked? Did she have to check the Vail house? The ones in Hawaii, Paris, Milan, and the New York estate in the country where she kept her horses? Where her mother chose death over her daughters. Oh, and the house in San Francisco where Phillip preferred to spend his holidays——-away from them.

She and Risi had worked so diligently to learn the business and earn their degrees, they had ignored their personal assets, except to verify the bills were paid as expected by the accountants. She and Risi learned one valuable lesson from their father: always sign the checks. Don’t trust others to handle the money. Pay them for their advice and expertise, but never give them signing authority. Which might explain why her uncle stole the paintings for easy cash. He could sell them on the black market without the provenance papers to collectors who cared less about those kinds of things and more about possessing the great works of art. Could this have been what he was hiding? Or was it just the tip of the iceberg?

“Iris.” Barry called her name to pull her out of her thoughts. “And the sale that won’t take place unless you’re dead, what about that?”

“I really hate talking about my death.”

“I can imagine, especially since your sister’s been murdered, but I need to know what you mean. My money and life are tied up in this sale.”

“There is no sale.”

“I bought and paid for this house and property. The money is in escrow.”

“Are you sure about that?” She hated to think her uncle might have cheated this good man out of his money.

Barry pulled his cell phone from his pocket. She touched his hand to stop him from dialing. “If the money isn’t there, tell them you’ll handle the matter personally. You’re in contact with Phillip, and you’ll settle the matter with him directly. I will pay you back.”

“If my money isn’t sitting in that account, I own this place, and Phillip can go screw himself.”

“You don’t own this place because he can’t sell it without my signature.”

“He’s your guardian and trustee over the estate. He told me.”

“My parents made him guardian, but two lawyers are the trustees, and me or my sister are required to sign off on all checks and transactions. Without our signatures, nothing is legal. We own everything. Not Uncle Philip. He has no power over the estate, or my sister and me.”

“Unless your dead.”

“Yes.” To distract him from asking anything more, she nodded to his phone. “Make your call.”

It didn’t take Barry more than a minute to contact the real estate office and have them verify the escrow account closed out the day after the money cleared the bank. All his money gone. Barry held his phone in a death grip, pressing his fist to his forehead and squeezing his eyes shut, trying to think and hold back the string of curse words running through his head.

“Fuck me!”

“Yes. He did. But I’ll make it right.”

“I don’t want you to make it right, I want to tear his head off.”

“I’m happy to let you, but first I need to see the papers he signed.”

“They’re at my place. The real estate agent said everything was in order. The West lawyers completed the papers. How could they do that if they require your signature?”

“I don’t know. My guess is that he paid them off with the money he got from selling the artwork.”

“I verified the title changes into my name, but didn’t really bother to look who signed off on everything. Why would I? The house is held under the name of the trust, not in your and Risi’s names directly.”

“Right, I didn’t think of that.”

“And you’re sure the sale can’t go through? He has the money.”

“Barry,” she said at length. “You know it can’t go through. Somewhere in that bright mind of yours you thought something like this might happen, because a decent guy like you can’t possibly believe my uncle sold you this house and property for one-point-five million when it’s worth at least four million.”

“He never meant to sell this place to me. He only wanted to steal the money.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“Why?”

“Because of the date he wanted the sale to clear.”

“What about it?”

“It’s my birthday.”

“March twelfth.”

“Yes. I turn twenty five and everything my parents left to me is mine. No strings attached. No more restrictions. I take control of the company and all the assets.”

“Unless your dead, and he gets it all.”

“He killed Risi. If you’d left me to die last night, you could have solved my uncle’s problem.”

“No one is going to kill you.” The thought turned Barry’s stomach. Her uncle wanted her dead. The bastard killed Risi, and based on the news this morning, Phillip had already subtly pointed the finger at Iris. Barry might be unsure if he wanted to get close to her, but he had to keep her safe. He couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her. Not after all she’d been through.

This was all so wrong. The money worried him. Hell, it pissed him off. All his plans just went down the drain. He had every dime sunk in this place and buying the livestock. How was he going to pay back the loan? Where the hell was he going to put another four hundred head of cattle? They would never fit on his tiny spread. He needed the West land, or he’d simply have to resell them and eat the loss.

All that money………. His stomach soured and tightened, threatening to make him ill.

Every time he was on the verge of having everything, it all fell apart. The scale had simply changed. Before, he’d bought his small property for his fiancée, to show her he could provide for her. It was to be the start of their new life together, but it turned out to be the end. This time, he’d worked his ass off, reached higher, put everything he had into the impressive West spread, and still he came up empty. Now, he might not even be able to hold onto his place.

“Will you please take me to get my bag from that jerk Eddie?”

Pulled from his dark thoughts and dwindling bank account, he refocused on the woman in front of him who needed his help. “Then what? You’ll go back to New York and accuse your uncle of murder and theft of the paintings?”

“I don’t have a way to prove either yet, and he has God knows how many officials in his pocket. You saw the news, they are ready to pin the murder on me. But this gives me a place to start. First, I need to find the paperwork on the paintings. It’s probably in my father‘s papers.”

“Maybe that’s what Risi found, too. She left the files all over your father’s office. Looked like she spent a long time going through them.”

“Maybe. Did she say anything to you about the property sale?”

“Based on the way she acted, I don’t think she knew about it. She was in a hurry to leave.”

“Maybe she found something else in the files.”

“More embezzlement and fraud perhaps?”

She frowned and shrugged. “Perhaps.” She turned and hobbled out the door, her gaze straight ahead. She never looked at the massive rooms. The house might be empty, but she’d filled it with her grief. He felt it like a living thing inside these walls.

He went after her, stopping in the open front door to stare at her beautiful upturned face. Tears tracked down her cheeks and onto her neck. Eyes closed, her face soft and delicate. Her brown hair glistened with gold highlights in the bright sign. Her arms hung heavy at her sides. She favored her good foot and leaned a bit, but none of that held his attention as much as the weight of utter, desperate loneliness that hung on her.

His feet moved before he consciously knew what he was doing. Instinct carried him to her. Something else made him wrap his arms around her and pull her close to his chest. He didn’t think too hard about what made him want to protect and comfort her. Instead, he gave in to that need and held her and pressed his cheek to her soft hair and stood with her in the sun until her tears dried.

She gathered herself with a deep breath. Her hands slid up his side to his chest. She pushed back, but he held her close with his fingers locked at the small of her back. Her face turned up to him and her eyes finally opened again. The same shade of brown he remembered from the other day when he met Risi, but just enough difference to get his attention last night. Meeting Iris was different. Risi’s beauty drew him in, but something even more profound in Iris touched something inside him.

He would like to see her smile. Watch the way something happy or humorous changed her eyes, brightened and lightened them, stealing away the darkness clouding them. He wondered what made her laugh. He’d love to hear it. Somehow he knew it would take away the heaviness in his chest.

“I’m sorry about your sister and your uncle and…….everything.”

Her eyes went soft with more sadness. “I’m sorry my uncle screwed you. I’ll make it right. I promise.”

That was the only thing keeping him off a plane and flying to New York to kill Phillip himself. Whatever was going on in the West family, he needed to help Iris take her uncle down and see her take her place at the head of West Enterprises. If her uncle didn’t want her there, that’s exactly where he wanted to put her and piss off Phillip. It would certainly give the guy something to think about behind bars.

He stared off into the distance, the land that spread before him and might have been his.

“This place is everything you dreamed of for your life and future.” She said his thoughts out loud. She stared back at the house. “This is my past. There is nothing here but memories. Everyone I ever loved is dead. The house is as empty as my heart.”

He rubbed his hand up and down her back. She leaned into him, laying her head on his chest and sighing.

“What are you going to do now?” He asked.

She stepped out of his arms. He let her go because he couldn’t hold on to what wasn’t his. This ranch. This house. Her.

He had been an unwilling and unwitting participant in her uncle’s scheme, a scheme that ended with Iris dead.

Knowing that now made him sick and tarnished West Ranch in a way he’d never thought possible. Her father had chosen well when he picked this piece of land. He had built an amazing home and filled it with family and love. He had created an empire, but his greatest achievement stood before him, a mass of despair and determination all rolled into one. He had no doubt she would take her uncle down.

“My plans are complicated, but they end with Uncle Philip in jail.”

“What can I do to help?”

“This is my fight. I’ll take care of it.”

“Not on your own, Iris. I’ve got a stake in this to protect you. Besides, you don’t have a car, or know anything or anyone around here.”

That earned him a short-lived smile. “I guess you’re stuck with me a while longer.”

“At least until we get the proof you need against your uncle. I won’t let that bastard get away with hurting you.”

“Yeah. I’ve got to find concrete evidence against him before I go to the feds.”

“Then let’s get started. I’ll follow up on the land deal. You track down the paintings. I can’t really help you with that.”

He opened the truck door and held it for her. He took her arm when she stepped up on the running board, and helped her into the seat. Settled, she gave him another of those elusive smiles. He wondered if she tried to hide her awareness of him this close as much as he tried to hide it from her. The last thing he needed was to fall for a woman who was completely out of his league, had no intention of staying in Central City, and grieved the loss of her sister with every breath she took.

“Ready?” She asked.

“Let’s pay Eddie a visit and get your stuff back.”

“Why does that sound more like a threat than a plan?“

“You’re getting to know me better by the minute.”

“I’m liking you more by the minute.”

This time, he smiled and let out a short laugh. Because he liked her too, he gave her hand a squeeze to let her know he understood how she felt about Eddie and wanting retribution for what he put her through last night.

She pulled at him, and he didn’t know if he wanted to get closer when he’d already been burned by one member of her family. He didn’t know if he trusted her to do the right thing or not. It was an odd mix of thoughts and feelings. He felt in his heart he could trust her, but she was a West, and that family took care of business in a way that was completely foreign to him. In the end, even if he got his money, he’d lost the one thing he’d wanted more than anything. A chance to live his life the way he wanted on the land he had hoped to make his. He’d had everything worked out in his mind. Well, the best laid plans…..

Time to move on and help Iris clean up the mess.

Eddie better not piss him off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you all enjoy that chapter? I hope so. I hope that you are liking where the characters of Iris and Barry are heading and how the story is progressing. I struggled a bit with Barry’s doubt. He likes Iris, he’s attracted to her, in his heart he feels he can trust her, but he’s received a devastating blow and that’s puts him off kilter with who he can really trust, especially with women. I hope I was able to find the right tone for that. As you know, comments are welcomed and appreciated. I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy and finding some peace in this current storm.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris pay Eddie a visit to teach him a lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: There is some mention of animal cruelty in this chapter. If that subject should trigger emotional unrest for you PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER.

Barry didn’t turn on any music on the ride over to Eddie’s place. Iris’s thoughts grew too noisy, so she focused on the scenery. Snow dusted plains gave way to towering mountains. She loved the expanse of it, almost as much as the feel of Barry’s hand holding hers. As before, he took it when she went quiet on him. She didn’t mean to close him out, it just happened when her mind drifted to her sister. She wondered what her uncle was doing right this minute, probably playacting for the cameras while plotting her demise.

The smell hit her first. The putrid scent of cows and manure. She held up her hand to cover her nose and mouth, but ended up with the back of Barry’s hand to her face. “Oh. My. God.”

“It’s something, all right.” Barry scrunched his nose.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Wait until we round the bend. You won’t believe your eyes.”

“How do you stand the stench?”

“I don’t run my ranch this way.” Barry turned the corner and she understood.

Cows stood clustered together in large pens, barely enough room to move. Manure and urine soaked the ground. Hay and feed were piled in the corner of the pens, not in feed troughs to keep the animals from stepping on and soiling their food.

“This is inhumane.”

“Tell me about it. Eddie has enough land to run the cattle, let them graze at will and feed them in the troughs out in the pastures, but he’s too lazy and greedy to do it right. He’s lost half his cowhands because of this crap. Some of the guys have worked this ranch for years, but after Eddie’s father died a year ago, this place has gone to shit.”

“Literally,” Iris finished for him. “This place is depressing. Look at that.” Iris pointed out the window to one of the pens. “That cow is dead. Has been for a few days by the looks of it and no one has taken it out of there.”

“That’s not the worst of it. Don’t turn around. One of the babies in that pen behind you got trampled.”

Iris turned to look, but Barry touched her face and turned it away.

“Just knowing is more than enough. You don’t need to see it, too.”

“Barry, this isn’t right.”

“No. It’s not. These are some of the purest bread cattle in the country. Prime beef. Black Angus. Worth a lot of money. Eddie treats them like they’re nothing.”

“The same way he treated me last night when he dumped me in the snow. He’s going to regret that.”

“Oh, he’ll pay,” Barry said, pulling the truck into the drive behind Eddie’s old truck. They got out and rounded the hood to meet in the middle.

Eddie stepped out of the nearby barn with a shotgun in his hand pointed at the truck. “Why the fuck did you bring her ‘round here?”

Barry took her hand and held it tight. Eddie took three quick, menacing steps closer. Barry stepped in front and blocked Iris from Eddie.

“Put that gun down before you accidentally shoot yourself, you idiot.”

“I’ll pump you full of holes for trespassing. Now, I’ll ask you again, why did you bring that bitch here?”

Barry turned and whispered over his shoulder, “He doesn’t know who you are?”

She shook her head. “No one can know. If it gets back to my uncle that I’m here, he’ll send someone after me.”

“This is a complicated mess, you know that?”

“Thanks for summing it up.”

Barry frowned but turned back to face off with the gun-toting asshole.

“Eddie, all I want is her suitcase. Give me her belongings, and we’ll be on our way.”

“Get off my land.”

Iris couldn’t see Eddie while standing behind Barry, so she stared off to the side at the sad cows, their brown hides crusted with dirt. She raked her gaze over their lean bodies, looking for other signs of abuse and neglect. They were dirty and probably hungry, but she tried to tell herself it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Still, something about the animals nagged at her. She pulled her hand free from Barry’s and limped toward the fence line.

Barry caught her by the arm. “Where are you going? The muck is calf-deep.”

“I need to see something.”

“Stop right there,” Eddie shouted, swinging the gun at her.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Barry spoke with controlled calm, but something in his voice hinted at malice.

Eddie hesitated a moment before lowering the shotgun with a snort.

Iris hiked her good foot on the rail and examined the cows more closely. The smell really couldn’t be described, though the longer she lingered in this god awful place, the less the stench overwhelmed her.

“What are you looking for?” Barry called, exasperation plain in his voice. “Come down from there before you hurt yourself more.”

Angry beyond words, Iris forgot about her sprained ankle and jumped down. She yelped in pain, took two steps, and found herself grabbed by the arms, hauled up and over the worst of the muck, and landed inches from Barry. How did he move so fast? The flash of intensity in his green eyes only increased her dizziness. She swallowed hard and refocused on the dirtbag three yards away.

“Get off my land,” Eddie bellowed.

“Shut the hell up,” she snapped. She rose on her good foot on tiptoe and leaned in close to Barry’s ear. He held her hips to steady her. She braced herself against him with her hands on his strong shoulders, without considering how natural it was to hold him and be held by him. Good God, he smelled good, like leather and soap and something earthy and uniquely Barry. “Those cows have the West Ranch logo.”

“It’s your brand. One that commands a high price,” he whispered back.

“It did, but if these animals aren’t treated better, the reputation will be ruined.”

Barry held her away and frowned, glaring at her and then resting his gaze on the sad animals.

“My first and last priority is their care and well-being. I needed to be sure they’re mine, so I can do something about it.”

“Eddie’s father ran this ranch, and ran it well, up until his death. The animals were treated right, and your family made a lot of money off these animals.”

“Enough said. Thank you.” She tried to pull away, but he held her close. Her gaze locked with his. They stared at each other, that strange awareness they both didn’t acknowledge existed pulling at her and him. “What?”

“How much pain are you in?”

“Not enough to stop me from putting ole Eddie in his place.”

“You two need to get a room,” Eddie called, still pacing erratically. His impatience making him even more cranky. “What the hell do you want with me?”

“I’m fine,” she said to Barry, stepping out of his embrace and ignoring the look that said, Yeah, right.

She pivoted around, set her hands on her hips, and stared Eddie down. “I want you to use that shriveled, beer soaked brain of yours for something other than directing your hand to scratch your hairy ass.” 

Barry let out a full belly laugh, which made it impossible to hide her own smile.

“No one disrespects me on my own land.”

“You’re doing a fine job of that all on your own. This ranch is a disgrace.”

Eddie made a sound like an angry bull. “I’ll wrap my hand around your scrawny neck and choke the life out of you.”

“You’re not the only one who wants me dead, so get in line. In fact,” she walked right up to him and yanked the shotgun out of his hands, “put that down before you hurt someone. I swear to God, five-year-olds have more common sense than you.”

“Hey, give that back.”

She expertly emptied the spent rounds from the chambers, slammed the gun back together, turned, and shoved the gun stock into Eddie’s groin. Eddie dropped to his knees, both hands on his crotch.

“You didn’t even reload after you shot that thing last. You dumbass.”

“Hey, city girl, give me that.” Barry took the gun from her, but she continued to stare down Eddie. “Where’d you learn to do that?”

“Dad taught us how to handle guns on the ranch. He had a beautiful Winchester.”

“It’s in the inventory.”

“A girl out on the town in the big city needs to be able to protect herself. They teach all kinds of martial arts and kickboxing classes at the gym. Guys jump at the chance to roll around on the mats with a girl.” She narrowed her gaze on Eddie. “They called me Ballbuster.”

Barry’s hand clamped onto her shoulder and he gave her a friendly squeeze. “You’re more than meets the eye, city girl.”

“You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

“I’m curious about the rest.”

That was a definite innuendo. In other circumstances, she wouldn’t mind getting an up close look at the tall, well-built rancher. She appreciated his good-natured attitude and the way he defused a situation. Those strong shoulders and contoured biceps sweetened the deal. Something to think about later. Well, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, but now was not the time, and she refocused.

Eddie kicked a rock across the yard, looking more nervous than pissed.

He thought her some low lackey like him, working for the company, here to check on West Ranch for the family. He’d been nervous when they met that she’d come to look into something more. He didn’t want anyone to see this place and the sorry state of this ranch and the cattle. He wouldn’t report her to anyone in the company. He couldn’t. Not without alerting them to a problem here, so she went with her gut and tried to set things right for now, until she could implement a permanent solution.

“Now, listen here, Eddie. Maybe I didn’t make myself clear last night. I work for West Enterprises. Those are West cattle. You will remove your head from your ass and move those cattle out of those damn pens and transfer them to the pastureland for them to graze and roam. You will feed and water them the proper way and dispose of the dead carcasses immediately.”

She turned to Barry. “Am I missing anything?” Before he answered, she turned back to Eddie. “Oh, quarantine any sick animals away from the heard. Call the vet to check on them and get them well. I think that’s all. You know your job. Do it.”

“You’re not the boss of me. You can’t come in here and order me around like this.”

“You will do as I say or face the consequences a hell of a lot sooner then what’s coming down the road. You got it?”

“Who the hell are you?”

“The woman you dumped on her ass in the snow in the middle of nowhere. The biggest mistake you ever made in your miserable good for nothing life.”

“I’ll call the company and get you fired. No one likes a pushy bitch.”

“Call Ray Palmer. I dare you.”

“How did you know………..”

“I know a hell of a lot more than you. You underestimate women at your own peril. Let’s go, Barry, I’m done here.”

She limped over to Eddie’s truck.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing now?” The words came out whiny, like a kid who didn’t get his way.

“Getting my bag. Lord knows, you’re too lazy to have even taken it out of your truck.”

Sure enough, her sister’s bag sat on the floor of the passenger side. She grabbed the bag and hauled it out. Eddie lunged, grasped her shoulder, and spun her around. She twisted her ankle and yelled out in pain, collapsing against the truck door.

Barry grabbed Eddie by the back of his jacket. Eddie turned and caught a right hook in the jaw and fell backward and landed on his ass in the dirt.

“Allen, this is none of your concern,” Eddie yelled, holding the side of his face.

Barry loomed over Eddie, hands fisted at his sides and fury in his eyes. “You made it my concern when you dumped her on that road, asshole. You left her out there to die. What is wrong with you?”

“She deserved it.”

“Why? Because she’s got better taste than to find anything appealing about you. Seems to me, her instincts were dead on.”

“You want her, keep her.” Eddie spat, climbing to his feet. “She’s not worth the trouble.”

“She’s not yours to give away, you idiot. But thanks, I will keep her.” Barry scooped her right off her feet and carried her to his truck. She pulled the door open and he set her inside the cab. “Stay put.”

Barry took her bag and carried it to the track, setting it in the bed and opening the driver’s door. He didn’t get in, but stared at Eddie. “Don’t make things worse for yourself. Do what she asked. Take care of these animals, or I’m coming back to take care of you.”

Barry slid behind the wheel, started the truck, and turned them around. He sped down the dirt road and took the right onto the main road back to his place.

“How did you know Eddie’s contact at West?”

“Ray is the head of Western Operations. It was a good guess he’d oversee anyone responsible for the cattle business. I’ll look into it, and Eddie will get what’s coming to him.”

“The company isn’t exactly known for cattle.”

She stretched out her leg and tried to adjust her foot to take the pressure off her ankle. “No. Not really. Which is why I don’t remember seeing anything about the cattle.”

“Not exactly up your alley, city girl.”

“No. It’s not. Small appliances make up the major portion of the company. Dad dabbled in other ventures. Farm equipment. Manufacturing machines. He pretty much had his hand in a lot of mechanical things. He liked to tinker.”

“Like the puzzle sculpture.”

“Exactly. Mechanics was his kind of fun. Risi and I recently diversified the business and added a botanical cosmetics line.”

“I don’t know anything about makeup.” Barry shook his head. “I do know you guys make a killer combine and rototiller.”

“Do you own one of ours?”

“I wish. I guess I won’t need either, or the field topper for that matter. My small tractor is enough for my property. I don’t have the West land.”

“Yes, I guess it would take a great deal of equipment to run cattle on the ranch again.”

Barry nodded and got this far off look on his face, thinking about all he had lost. All the dreams her uncle made him believe in.

“I’m sorry, Barry. I’ll make it right.”

He took her hand the way he seemed to do so easily and squeezed her fingers. “Not your fault, city girl. I should’ve seen the lie. No deal that good can be true.”

“I was thinking the same thing about you.”

“What?”

“You can’t be real. No guys are as nice as you are and look like that.” She held out her hand and swept it up and down to indicate his strong, toned frame and that gorgeous, rugged face. She loved the way he cocked back one side of his mouth and laughed under his breath, dismissing her words. He had to know women drooled over him, but he didn’t use his looks to his advantage. Comfortably easy with who he was, he didn’t need to do anything but be himself to disarm strangers and make them feel relaxed with him.

“I’m far from perfect, Iris. Ask my brothers.”

She sighed, and the grief threatened to drag her under when she thought of her sister and what she’d say about Iris riding around with a virtual stranger, confronting gun-toting wannabe cowboys, and trying to take down their uncle by herself.

“How many do you have?”

“Three.”

“Wow. No sisters?”

“Just us boys.”

“I always wanted a brother.”

“I imagine having an identical twin was a lot of fun. You two must have spent your schooldays fooling your friends and teachers, making them think you were the other one, like you did me.”

“All the time, but not anymore.” She leaned her head against the side window and stared off into space.

“I’m sorry. You must miss her a lot.”

“More than my heart can take.” She sucked back the tears and held tight to Barry’s strong hand. They pulled into the yard, and Barry stopped the truck in front of the house. She stared at the simple wood two bedroom structure. Dark brown, cream trim, a small covered deck off the front. She liked the stone path. The snow from the night before clung to the ground and tops of bare branches on the trees and plants. The roof held a thick coating, making the house seem cozy and inviting beneath the white blanket. “How did I end up staying with you?”

“Because when you’re left on your own in Montana, you piss off cowboys, who dump you on your ass in the snow, you pull a shotgun from the same idiot cowboy with no regard for getting shot, and though you haven’t said it, sticking with me is a hell of a lot safer than confronting your murderous uncle.”

“I see your point,” she said, hiding a smile.

“You really scared the hell out of me, pulling that gun from Eddie like that.”

“He didn’t have his finger on the trigger. He’s all bluster.”

“Yeah, well, next time someone’s got a gun on you, do me a favor, don’t rush them and grab it.”

“What would you have me do, stand there and get shot?”

“Stay away from people with guns,” he ordered, getting disgruntled.

“Is that possible in Montana?” She asked, checking out the gun rack behind her that held two rifles.

“Smart ass.”

“Top of my class,” she teased back.

“Not you, party girl. You probably cut more classes than you attended.”

That sparked anger in her. For whatever reason, she wanted him to see her, not the made up person on TV and in the papers. “Right. You hear the gossip, see a bunch of pictures of me out with friends, and you think you know me? I’m just some party girl. Another spoiled rich girl, wasting my life on booze and drugs. No dreams. No aspirations. Nothing I want to do with my life. Not a care in the world, because I only care about myself, spending my dead parents money, and having fun. Right? That’s the woman you saw on TV this morning. The woman the whole world thinks they know.”

“Hold it right there, city———-” 

Wound up, she let her anger reign. “Well, let me tell you something. You don’t know me. You don’t know anything, except for the hundreds of seconds captured by the camera flash out of the billions of seconds they didn’t capture or care about. You think I’m just the party girl out for a good time and a wild fuck?” She leaned up and kissed him hard. With cold and impersonal calculation she took the kiss deeper. She didn’t expect the connection they’d both tried to ignore until now to flare and race through her system, making her want to draw even closer to the fire.

He tore his mouth from hers, grabbed her by the shoulders, and set her back, but didn’t release her. “I am more than willing to kiss you senseless when the time is right, but not like this. Don’t kiss me like that, just to prove a point. It’s not you.”

The kiss forgotten, her hurt and anger flashed again. Better to be angry than engulfed in her sadness. “How the hell would you know? You don’t know who I am. You don’t know anything. You didn’t watch your sister die right before your eyes and stand there helpless to do anything. You didn’t run away and leave your other half lying dead and bloody on the floor while your uncle plotted your death with a cop who should’ve protected an innocent woman. So don’t act like you know. You don’t know. No one knows.” The tears filled her eyes and spilled over and down her cheeks.

Damn it to hell, this woman had been to the devil and back. “You never said you were there when he killed your sister.” He held her shoulders and made her look at him. “Does he know you’re here? You asked if he sent me to find you. Is he coming for you?”

“No.” She tried to pull away, but he held firm. “ I paid cash for the ticket and used a fake ID.”

Relieved beyond measure, he wrapped his arms around her, and pressed his cheek to the top of her hair. If her uncle didn’t know where to find her, they still had time to sort this out. He hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, what did you think of that chapter? It was my hope in this chapter that the reader begin to see a bit more of who Iris is. This last day of her life has been incredibly traumatic with her sister being murdered and her almost freezing to death. But slowly as her new reality sets in we’re getting to see the spunk and fire that Iris has and the special woman she is. I sincerely hope I was able to convey that in this chapter. Comments are always welcomed and appreciated.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry begins to face how he feels about Iris.

Barry held Iris close. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed so hard, he felt every wracking breath reverberate through his ribs. The breakdown was inevitable. Still, he had no idea what to do with a beautiful crying woman. He had brothers. If one of them broke down, he’d slap him on the back, tell him to suck it up, everything would be okay, and they’d drink until they were numb and bottled their feelings again.

Heartsick, frightened, and in pain from her injuries, she needed time to process, heal, and grieve without all this hanging over her head.

He got out of the truck, scooped her into his arms, and carried her up the icy walk to the front door.

“Why are you always picking me up?”

“Easiest way I could think of to get my hands on you.” Okay, maybe that was more truth than the moment called for, but he had never had good timing with women. Probably why his bed remained empty for the last nine months.

“I need to find the papers for the missing paintings.” She settled her head on his shoulder.

God, the way she smelled, so sweet, like spring wildflowers………

Yeah, she needed those papers, some kind of proof her uncle had been stealing from her. He needed to talk to her more about her sister’s murder and the cop who helped her uncle cover it up.

He shoved open the front door, walked through, and kicked it closed with his heel. He walked to the couch and sat down with her in his lap. He gathered her close, pressed his cheek to her soft hair, and held her, letting her know without words she wasn’t alone.

Time ticked by and his mind spun thoughts of her returning to New York to face her uncle with the proof, not knowing who to trust. He formed one plan that turned into several variations. No matter what happened, he swore he would keep her safe.

Her tears faded and she settled against him, drifting into the sleep she desperately needed. Barry’s gaze swept the room and his comfortable furnishings. He’d made a good place for himself here, but he’d reached for more. He’d reached too high, thinking he’d move into the West place, run the ranch, grow the business, and one day be worthy of that house and land and what it stood for in this community. Wealth. Prosperity. Hard work to build something to encompass that vast land and large house. All of which belonged to the woman in his arms.

He wanted that place, but damn if he didn’t want the woman in his arms more. If she noticed how much, she’d ignored it the way he tried to ignore the state of his blood rushing to his burgeoning manhood. Beautiful and stylish. Too wealthy and educated. Too much the city girl to his backwoods country boy. It could never work in the real world. Still, he couldn’t help wanting the fantasy.

He hated seeing her cry, knowing how deeply she hurt. He admired her spunk and determination. While he enjoyed watching her put Eddie in his place, he didn’t like her impulsive move to disarm him. That smart, sharp mind of hers probably got her into all kinds of trouble. She’d keep him on his toes.

But she wasn’t staying. He had to get that through his head. Once she had the proof she needed, she’d go back to her life. 

The life that suited her. She had a company to run, a family dynasty to uphold. No way she’d choose a life out here in the middle of nowhere on a cattle ranch. After everything that happened, she’d probably sell West Ranch for the money it was worth and forget she ever stepped foot in Montana.

With a heavy sigh, he gave in to stupidity and hugged her close. She moaned in pain when he crushed her side too tight. He smoothed his hand over her hip, soothing the small hurt, and she settled against him again.

He couldn’t sit here all day, even though that was exactly what he wanted to do, not when he needed to feed the horses and go to town to get her father‘s papers. The sooner he helped her clean up this mess with her uncle, the sooner she’d go back home and stop unknowingly torturing him.

He indulged in one last sweet smell of her soft hair and shifted her off his lap and onto the leather sofa. He pulled the dark pillow beneath her head and settled her legs on the couch as he slid off to stand beside her. Careful not to jar her sprained ankle, he unzipped her worthless boots and placed them on the floor. He propped her bad foot on another pillow and tucked her coat around her to keep her warm while she got some much needed sleep. Satisfied he had her settled for at least a couple of hours, he leaned down and kissed her on the head. He closed his eyes, holding back the urge to lie down with her and hold her in his arms.

He stepped away, but stopped when she reached out and grasped his jeans at his thigh. He knelt beside her and brushed the wisps of hair from her face. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. Just don’t grab guns from people anymore.”

“No. For what my uncle did to you.”

He traced the tear that escaped her lashes and rolled over her soft cheek. “I’ll figure something out.”

“I’ll make it right. I promise.”

“Get some rest. I’m going to feed the horses.”

“I’d like to see them.”

“Later. You need some sleep.”

Her lids slid closed despite how hard she tried to stay awake. He stood and stared down at her peaceful face, thinking of how young and sweet she was with so much weighing on her shoulders. Still, she thought of him and wanted to make things right. If he hadn’t been such an idiot, she wouldn’t need to make things right. Nothing for her to do anyway, except hopefully get his money back. Even then, what could he do? Buy another piece of property? He’d have to spend some time researching his options. Nothing compared to West Ranch, but if he reevaluated his needs and found something to fit, it might take him only a few months to close the deal.

What if he didn’t get his money back? That thought didn’t even bear thinking about right now. He would be ruined. He didn’t have money to hire a lawyer to sue Phillip West, who could probably use his vast wealth to fight Barry for years, making it impossible to get his money and costing him a fortune in legal fees.

“What a fucking mess.” He stepped out into the backyard and made his way over the five inches of snow to the stables. His boots crunched on the ice. The yard would turn to a muddy mess if the weather warmed up a few more degrees. Of course, this time of year they’d probably get more snow. He felt the chill of it in the air and looked north to the building gray clouds. Yeah, they’d get more snow soon. Should have checked the weather reports, but he’d been distracted by a brown eyed beauty.

He liked her a lot. She wasn’t callous and frivolous. The sad and disgusted way she looked at how all those cows were treated told him she cared about their well-being. While the smell made her wrinkle her cute nose, she didn’t go all girly on him and whine about leaving that place immediately. No, she’d been more concerned with helping those animals than preserving her sense of smell or her ruined boots that probably cost someone’s monthly salary.

Barry walked into the overcrowded stables and shook his head. He had hoped to get the twenty seven horses into the West stables, spread them out, give them the room they deserved. He thought it would be only a matter of weeks. Now he’d have to come up with another place to house the horses he doubled up in the stalls. He’d have to build a temporary shed. He hated leaving them out in the weather, especially with more snow coming.

Mentally making a list of things he’d need to do and change because of the circumstances, he fed and watered the horses. With the snow coming, he’d have to run into town and get supplies. No telling how long he’d be stuck on the ranch with Iris.

The thought appealed a lot. More than he’d like to admit.

He worked for an hour in the stables with the horses. Being with them calmed his mind, and the physical work helped relieve the stress. He didn’t think about the bogus contract, or how much he wanted to kill Phillip for signing those worthless papers when he knew his signature was meaningless.

See, he wasn’t thinking about it at all. He dumped the pitchfork in the wheelbarrow full of horseshit and straw, planted his hands on his hips, stared at the ground, and shook his head.

Everything he’d worked so hard for, all down the drain.

He walked down the center aisle toward the door and gave Hank and Winnie a pat on the head before he left. He loved being with the horses. If things got any worse, he’d lose them, too.

He thought of the woman in the house. He knew all that he could do was protect her even though all he wanted to do was hold her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a brief chapter but I felt it complemented chapter eight well so I decided to post them together. I hope you all agree. This chapter is all about Barry and how he is handling this situation and the strong, developing feelings he has for Iris. While Iris is mired in the grief of losing her sister and her sinister uncle, Barry is feeling a loss as well. The loss of the life he thought he would have when he acquired West Ranch. Those feelings, coupled with his feelings for Iris, are a lot for him to come to terms with. This chapter, I hope, gave the reader insight into Barry and what he is thinking and feeling.  
> Comments are always welcomed and I’m so grateful for them. I hope you all are well and safe. Please take care.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris grow closer despite trying to fight their feelings for each other.

Iris woke up in the dark, momentarily disoriented. She focused on the stone fireplace with the chunky wood mantel and the pictures of Barry and his family. It wasn’t hard to imagine him on a bunking bronco or bulll, winning those buckles and trophies.

A warmth spread through her chest when she thought about him. Strong. Kind. A physical powerhouse, he’d punched Eddie like he was flicking an annoying gnat. When she broke down under grief’s strain, he held her protected in his strong arms.

A piece of her connected with Barry and refused to let go.

She had to fix this mess before any more of her uncle’s evil deeds touched his life.

The anger in his eyes, she’d recognized. She felt the very same, but the death of his dream for his future tore at her heart. A hardworking man, he’d earned the money to buy West Ranch with the sweat off his back. No one handed him anything. Well, her uncle handed him West Ranch on a silver platter, complete with a ridiculous price tag.

Which begged the question. Why did her uncle want to sell the property for so little when it was worth so much more? Why sell it now? To hide the art theft? It didn’t make any sense. If he planned to kill her and Risi——which it seemed clear he had——why did he need to sell the property to cover up something so small as theft? In the grand scheme of the West fortune, those paintings were a drop in the bucket. Yes, they were worth a small fortune, but nothing compared to the other assets held by West Enterprises. The paintings, especially the one her mother painted, were more sentimental than anything. A reminder of happier times they’d spent on the ranch.

Why did her uncle need the money? Maybe if she discovered that, everything would finally fall into place.

She didn’t know where Barry had gone, but the house felt empty and cold without him. She stood, wincing at the ache in her ankle. She limped to her room and sifted through the sparse contents of Risi’s suitcase. She pulled out her sister’s favorite pair of black leggings. Risi liked to wear them on the plane for comfort. She used to wear them. Iris held back the tears and chose the lavender pullover tunic. Soft, warm, it reminded her so much of her sister’s simple, yet elegant taste.

She held the sweater to her nose and inhaled her sister’s scent. God, she missed her.

She drew the line at borrowing her sister’s underwear, but snagged the lavender lace bra and a pair of black socks. Based on the contents, she had two more outfits. As pretty as her sister’s clothes were, nothing she packed would keep her warm outside.

What were you thinking? Iris wished she could ask Risi.

Probably that she’d come here, get the proof, and be home in no time to take her uncle down.

“Why didn’t you come to me for help? Why did you do this on your own?”

Iris didn’t have the answers to those questions and had to respect her sister’s choices.

“You were supposed to do it with me, Risi. Side by side like always. You and me against the world.”

With a heavy heart, she searched all the pockets and compartments in the suitcase for more clues. Nothing.

She scooped up the clothes and her sister’s toiletry bag and limped across the hall to the small bathroom. She closed the door and set her things on the toilet lid. She stripped, turned on the shower, and stepped under the spray, welcoming the warmth and massaging effect on her head and back. Clean and feeling human again, she stepped out of the shower, pulled the rolled up tan towel off the pile on the shelf under the sink, and patted herself dry. She felt bad rooting through Barry’s things. She didn’t want to take advantage, but took one of the three new toothbrushes from the cabinet drawer along with the travel size tube of toothpaste and brushed her teeth. Dressed in her sister’s clean clothes, she applied tinted moisturizer on her face to improve her sallow appearance.

She tossed her dirty bra and panties into the sink, washed them with the hand soap, and hung them next to her wet towel on the bar next to the shower. She hated to leave her things strung over Barry’s bathroom, but what choice did she have at this point?

She pressed her thighs together, thinking of Barry and the warm way he made her feel when he looked at her.

She thought of him wrapping his arms around her from behind, and sliding his hands over her taut belly and lower to touch her where she burned.

Stop! You’ve got things to do. Iris mentally scolded herself.

Still alone and not knowing when to expect Barry home, she grabbed her tote off the table by the front door, set the heavy bag on the dining table, and pulled out her laptop and notebook.

She opened her laptop, but froze before turning it on. What if they could track her Internet access and emails?

Frustrated, she opened her notebook and concentrated on making a list. She thought of her sister. What could she do for Risi?

“Check on funeral arrangements.” Maybe her uncle already made them, but Iris wanted Risi buried at the ranch with their parents. “Plan memorial service. Find proof against my uncle. Find someone I trust to help me arrest my uncle. She wrote: State attorney? FBI?

Who was she kidding? Without Internet access and the ability to hide her identity, she couldn’t accomplish anything.

The desk across the room caught her attention, but she hesitated to use Barry’s laptop. She had imposed so much already, she hated to use his things without asking. Still, she couldn’t sit here and do nothing. Too much time had already passed.

Set on accomplishing at least one of her tasks, she limped over to his desk and sat in his chair. She opened his laptop and the screen lit up. No password protection; several spreadsheets and documents popped up. She tried not to snoop, but they were right in front of her face. His plans and calculations for the ranch, the cattle, his breeding program, cost estimates, land allocations. More stuff she couldn’t decipher. Smart, well thought out plans for a man about to embark on a new venture. He’d outlined the steps he needed to take, timelines for different aspects of the business, and forecasts for the next five years.

She touched her fingertips to the screen. “You worked so hard to set this up.” She’d learned a thing or two about finance in school and working her way through the many departments at the company. If his projections were correct, and she had no reason to doubt them based on what she’d seen, he’d be profitable inside a year and making better than decent money in five. More than enough for him to live at West Ranch and support a family.

Her gaze went to the photos on the mantel. Family was important to him. Naturally, given his age and a prospering business, he’d want to settle down, get married, and have a family of his own. She thought of brown haired, green eyed babies in his strong, protective arms and sighed. Such a pretty picture.

She shook it off and stared at his spreadsheets again, more plans forming in her mind. More she needed to do to make this right for him.

With Barry’s pages minimized, she opened his browser and typed in the New York City morgue they’d mentioned on the news. She jotted down the number on her pad. With a few more keystrokes and searches, she found Heaven’s Gate Funeral Home in New York. She’d ask Mary to make arrangements to have them prepare her sister’s body for burial and ship it to a funeral home in Central City.

Warm hands settled on her shoulders and kneaded her tight muscles. Barry. She hadn’t heard him come in or walk up behind her. He worked her shoulders with his big hands, easing her mind as well as her body. She looked up at him upside down, and he traced his finger along her cheek, wiping the single tear away. The moment stretched, their gazes held, and he combed his fingers through her soft, luxurious damp curls to let her know he felt the pull between them too.

Unable to decide on a casket on Heaven’s Gate’s website, she’d been staring at the photos for ten minutes. Barry’s body brushed against her back as he leaned over, took the mouse, and clicked on the screen. She stared at the wood coffin with the white satin interior. A vine of roses carved into the wood. His hands settled on the rose pendant on her chest.

“That’s the one,” he said simply, his fingertips brushing up her neck and through her long hair. Shivers danced up her spine and his hands settled on her shoulders again.

She jotted down her choice——the perfect choice, thanks to Barry’s help——-on her notepad and sighed.

“You can’t make that phone call.”

She ignored the order in his voice, knowing he was only trying to protect her.

“I’ll contact the house staff and instruct Mary to complete the arrangements.”

“What if the phone is tapped, or she tells your uncle where you are?”

“My uncle would never expect me to call. The servant extension is a different number from the house. I’m not going to tell her where I am. And she won’t say anything. She works for me, not my uncle.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Yes. Which is one of the reasons my uncle is doing this.”

“It’s too great a risk.”

“I have to do this. My sister deserves to be buried with dignity, not left in some cold morgue.”

She leaned back in the chair and stared up at Barry. He leaned against the desk, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He gave her a nod that he didn’t like it, but he would drop it.

“You look better and worse all at the same time,” he said, not smiling.

“Thanks. You’re a real sweet talker.”

“That’s why the place is crawling with women,” he teased back, letting go of the tension between them from a minute ago.

“Um, I guess I never thought about it. Is my being here a problem for you and your girlfriend?” He didn’t wear a ring and the house definitely shouted bachelor with its sparse furnishings and decorations, but a man like him probably had a girlfriend somewhere. Or maybe ten.

“My fiancée——-”

“Oh shit. I’m so sorry. I kissed you. I’ll explain to her that it was my fault.”

“Iris. Stop. She left me years ago. She never stayed one night in this house.”

Since he started this conversation, she waited, feeling as if he wanted her to know what happened.

“It’s no big deal. I met a girl in college.”

“Good ole Central City U.”

“We were together three years. I asked Patty to marry me junior year. She said yes. We graduated. I bought this place and brought her home to marry her and build a life, starting on this small spread. I brushed off her complaints about living this far from even the smallest town, and how she’d never find a job, friends, how she’d be stuck out here with me, as nothing more than wedding jitters. Hell, I was nervous too. I figured once we settled in, she’d make this place hers, and we’d have some kids, and she’d be happy.” 

“This place wasn’t what she expected?” Iris guessed.

“Let’s say she was a bit high maintenance from the get-go. She grew up in a middle-class home in a good size town. All the plans we talked about at school sounded good. She went along, swearing she loved me and couldn’t wait to be a rancher‘s wife.”

“You brought her here, and the reality of living in the country on the ranch with the animals set in.”

“A tiny house in the middle of nowhere, limited access to shopping malls, the movies, restaurants——fun——wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.”

No. Iris imagined she’d wanted something grand, like West Ranch, and located closer to a big city.

“What happened?”

“She left me standing at the altar, staring at the house and land and the life she didn’t want.”

Iris had seen the beautiful wood arch out back down by the creek, under two towering trees. She bet it was beautiful in the spring and fall with the grass and wildflowers. The perfect spot to get married.

“I’m sorry, Barry. No one deserves to be abandoned like that.”

She understood all too well the kind of hurt that caused. Her mother loved her father and couldn’t overcome her grief at losing him after the plane crash. She had gone to their New York estate, the place they used to go to be alone and ride the horses, and hung herself, choosing death and an afterlife with her beloved rather than a life with her daughters. Loving someone that much was dangerous. A broken heart could break you.

“Yeah, well, after that, I left this place and followed the rodeo circuit to earn the money I needed to buy a bigger place and set up the ranch I really want.”

Yes. West Ranch. Barry had jumped at the chance to buy it when her uncle presented a deal too good to be true, because he needed the house and land to prove himself worthy.

“I rode broncos and bulls and any woman I could get my hands on.”

To prove he didn’t need Patty and could have any woman he wanted. Blunt, but she appreciated his honesty. She’d bet everything she owned all he had to do was smile and they jumped into his bed. The thought brought on a wave of unfamiliar jealousy and anger. She barely knew him, but thinking about him with another woman set off a bunch of emotions she didn’t want to analyze too closely.

“Did it help you forget Patty?”

“Nope, but it passed the time, and I made a lot of money.” He might have stopped sleeping with random women to prove he was over Patty and what she did to him, but he still needed the big ranch to prove he had something to give a woman who shared his dream.

Barry’s gaze met hers. “Patty showed up about two years ago. She wanted me back. Said it was a huge mistake to leave me, that we could make a life together work.”

“Must have made you feel good to see her come crawling back.”

“Not like I thought it would. She gave me all the words I thought I wanted to hear, but I didn’t feel anything inside. Nothing. I’d made a mistake, thinking she would be happy living the life I wanted. I never considered the life she wanted. I deserved what I got, standing alone at that altar, waiting on a woman who only existed in my head. A woman I thought I loved once but didn’t. I won’t make that mistake again.”

“You made a name for yourself and a lot of money on the rodeo circuit. She thought you’d have the life she imagined.” She pointed to the buckles and trophies.

“Something like that. But I still live here, and her picture of our life still didn’t match mine. Although I still wanted the wife and family, the life my parents showed me, I didn’t believe her smile.”

“I know the one.”

“I bet you do. Men probably smile at you all the time and want only one thing.”

“Two. Money and sex. The first is a great aphrodisiac for the second to some people.”

“How many men have asked you to marry them?”

“None. I rarely date someone more than a few weeks and never let things get that far. Like you, I never quite believe the smile.”

“The pictures on TV prove you hardly ever stay home alone.”

“Partners in fun are one thing. A partner for life is quite another. Love is dangerous. It makes people lie to make someone else happy, but in the end it only hurts them more when that person discovers the truth.”

“Exactly what Patty did.”

“It makes people grieve so hard when they lose it that they’ll do anything to get it back.”

“Your mother.”

“She loved my father so much, she couldn’t live without him. The vows say till death do us part. My mother believed that in death she’d be with him again.”

“Were they happy together?”

“They were made for each other. They smiled and meant it every day.”

“Don’t you want that for yourself.”

“My life is complicated. They met before all the money came into play. I’ve got that and an uncle who wants me dead.”

She pointed to the mantel. “Home. Family. Seems I don’t have either anymore. My family is all dead, and I can’t go back to my house in New York where my sister died.”

“We’ll find the evidence you need to put that bastard behind bars, so you can go home.”

Funny, she didn’t want do go anywhere. She liked it here. Even with everything hanging over her head, she still felt life was simpler here.

“Um, I hope you don’t mind I borrowed your computer.”

“Help yourself. Lord knows everything on there is a whole lot of nothing now.”

“Your projections and business plans are well thought out.”

“They won’t be executed. Not in the same way. I’ll have to figure out what to do with my limited resources.”

He stood and took two steps away, ending any further conversation about how much this place and reaching for more had cost him.

He turned back to face her. “I got you a present.”

Surprised, she opened her mouth, but closed it again.

He shook his head. “It’s nothing big, just something you need.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You might not like it.”

“Barry.”

He closed the distance between them, reading in her the importance of what she wanted to say. He crouched in front of her, one hand on the arm of her chair and the other on the desk.

She leaned in close because the moment called for it. “Thank you for saving me out on that road and letting me stay here. I don’t know what I would have done without your help. You’re a good man, who didn’t deserve any of this.”

His steady gaze told her he understood she meant what Patty and her uncle both did to him. His hand grasped on to her leg, and he massaged his way up over her knee to her thigh and hip. Heat spread like wildfire through her system.

“You’ll be okay.”

Hearing him say it made her feel better. A spark of belief flamed to life.

“You’re tough. You’ve had to be to grow up without your parents, just you and your sister, no one else to rely on or help you when you needed it.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because your uncle killed your sister for something as stupid as money.”

“It’s a lot of money.”

“Nothing is worth taking someone’s life.”

“Yeah, well, I want to kill him for what he did to her.”

“I know you do, but you’ll do what is right and make sure your sister gets the justice she deserves.”

“I’ll make sure you get the justice you deserve. He shouldn’t have made that deal with you.”

“Stop worrying about me.”

“I can’t,” she confessed.

His eyes narrowed and blazed with heat. He leaned in close, or maybe she leaned into him. No, they had met in the middle, that strange connection between them pulling them in. Their faces remained an inch apart. His breath whispered over her skin, smelling of the wintergreen mints he kept in his truck. She thought he’d kiss her and held her breath.

His big hand reached up and held the side of her face, and he pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes like it hurt to be this close to her. He stood, breaking the intimate spell, and stared down at her with the same need she felt reflected in his eyes. He didn’t give in and neither did she. They let the feelings and emotions simmer.

“I’ve got to bring the stuff in from my truck.” He turned back before he went out the door. “Can you cook?”

“I can make reservations and order takeout.”

He laughed. “City girl. I’ve got to feed the horses and do some chores. I’ll make you something to eat when I get back. You must be starving.”

“I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Damn, Iris, I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault. I wasn’t really hungry anyway.”

“I know you’re grieving for your sister, but you’ve got to eat. Especially if you’re taking those pain pills.” She shrugged that away. “You didn’t take them, did you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Why don’t you take them?”

“I don’t like them. They make me feel not myself. I don’t like feeling that way.”

He tilted his head and studied her. “You’re not what I thought you are.”

“Ditzy spoiled rich girl?”

“I think that’s just another lie you let people believe.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about.” With that bombshell hanging between them, he walked out the door, a blast of cold air and snow blowing and whipping the door shut.

So, he’d decided the news reports he’d seen about her and Risi that morning might not all be true. Most people didn’t look close enough, or care one way or the other. Her close friends laughed at what reporters said about her. Risi used to think the absurd stories were funny.

She used Barry’s cordless phone and called the penthouse staff extension.

“West residence.”

“Mary, it’s Iris.”

Mary knew her and Risi better than anyone. She’d cooked for the family for years and had become more like an aunt to her and Risi. Mary sniffled and stammered out, “Iris, do you know? Has someone told you?”

“Yes, Mary, I know all about Risi. I’m so sorry you were the one to find her.”

“I can’t believe someone murdered our beautiful girl in her own home. Your uncle is going insane looking for you. Where are you, dear? Come home. We’ll get through this together.”

“I can’t. Not yet. Please, whatever you do, don’t tell Uncle Phillip you spoke to me.”

“He asks about you every five minutes.”

“Please, Mary. It’s important.”

“Why are you calling?”

“I need you to do something for Risi.”

“Anything, dear.”

“I want you to tell Uncle Philip you’d like to oversee the funeral arrangements.”

“Come home. We’ll do it together.”

“I can’t. Not yet. Write this down.” Iris rattled off the names and phone numbers for the funeral homes in New York and Central City, along with her selection for the casket. “In my closet near the back is a navy blue garment bag. Inside is our mother’s white lace dress. The one she wore on her honeymoon with Daddy. Risi cherished that dress. Grab the pretty glitter Louboutin heels in her closet. Risi always loved those shoes.”

“I know the ones. She wore them to her graduation.”

Iris sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking of all Risi accomplished, but never got to see bloom into her bright future. A future that had been snuffed out, never to shine again.

“Yes. Please take her things to the funeral home so they can prepare her for burial.”

“I know just what to do. I did the same for my mother just last year, remember?”

“Yes. I do. I’m so sorry to bring up sad memories and ask you to take on this task for me.”

Mary sniffled back tears. “She was a beautiful girl with a big heart. So tragic to see her die that way. I hate what they are saying about you on those tabloid shows and in the news. It’s disgusting the way they make up stories and tell lies. They don’t know you or her.”

“What is Uncle doing?”

He’s holed up in his library with that detective. Those two have been going back and forth about something since this happened.”

Barry walked in with bags of groceries gripped in both his hands, a dusting of snow covering his black ski cap and wide shoulders. He smiled and gave her a questioning look, wondering why she stared at him so intently. She couldn’t help herself.

“Do you need me?”

Yes stuck on the tip of her tongue, but she shook her head no. Barry must have sensed her indecision and hesitated a moment longer before turning and walking into the small kitchen.

“Mary, please, just do as I ask, and delete this call from caller ID too. I don’t want Uncle to know where I am or how to get in touch with me.”

“I’ll do all you asked. What about your sister’s funeral? We need to make plans. People are calling, asking about the service and you.”

“I’ll prepare a press release. The funeral will be private. Family only. A memorial will be held later.” 

“But, Iris———”

“That’s what I want. You’ll understand why soon. Trust me, Mary, what I’m asking is necessary. Uncle Philip cannot be trusted.”

“I have to go. Your uncle is bellowing for me. Take care, my dear. I’ll do everything you asked. You can count on me.”

“I always do.”

Iris put the phone on the desk and scrubbed both hands over her face. When she finished, she stared at the box and bag Barry set in front of her.

“What is that?”

“Your present.”

“Barry, you really didn’t need to——-”

“I really did. Open it.”

She smoothed her hands over the shoebox, caught the edge, and lifted the lid, revealing the pair of black boots. Sturdy. Warm. Perfect for the winter weather and the snow.

“Your foot should fit in there with the brace. When you lace them up, they’ll give you extra support for that ankle until it heals. The best part, they’re waterproof. For the most part. Believe me, you spend any length of time in the snow, they’ll get wet. But they should do the trick for the next few days while you’re here.”

“Trying to get rid of me so fast.”

“Yeah, that’s why I bought you shoes to wear here. You’ll look ridiculous in New York with those and your designer pants.”

“I love them.”

“You mean you’ll tolerate them while you’re here.”

“No. I really love them. They’re perfect. Thank you.”

He gave her a skeptical look, but reached out and handed her the bag. “This one I owe you.”

“What is it?”

“You’re really bad at opening presents. You’re supposed to tear into the thing.”

She held the paper sack and pulled the tissue out, tossing it up in the air with a touch of flair. Barry smiled and shook his head. She reached inside and pulled out the contents and set them on the desk and just stared at the pretty sweaters he had bought for her.

One, a soft, thick cable knit with a V-neck in a deep purple. The next, a softer knit with a V-neck in a turquoise blue. The last, a tunic much like the one she wore but heavier in weight, in a beautiful raspberry pink. She loved them and let it show in the way she ran her hands over the material, admiring the texture.

“I hope I got the right size. I didn’t know what you’d like, and they certainly don’t cost anywhere near what your sweater probably cost, but I thought they would look nice on you.” Barry could barely look at her, nervous and unsure of his purchases and whether she’d like them.

She couldn’t help it. The tears glistened in her eyes. No one had ever done something so nice for her for no reason. Spontaneity won out over propriety and she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. This time the kiss was much different than the one she’d pushed on him earlier. That time, she’d let her anger rule her emotions. This time, she felt the heat spread through her whole system. Everything inside her wanted to dive in for another, deeper kiss. After the way he’d reacted the last time she kissed him, she stuck to the present and not the tension crackling between them.

“Thank you. I love them.” She didn’t really look at him, but picked up the pink sweater and held it to her chest, checking the size and admiring the way the material hung just so to the tops of her thighs. Perfect.

Acutely aware of Barry standing motionless beside her, she glanced up and sucked in a deep breath. The intensity in his eyes made her hesitate. “Barry, really, I love them. Thank you so much. You didn’t have to do this, but I appreciate it so much.”

“I ruined your sweater.”

She reached out and grabbed his bare forearm. His warmth seeped into her skin and set her body ablaze. She leaned in, but caught herself before she rubbed up against him. “It’s no big deal. You didn’t have to buy me anything.”

“I wanted to.” His words came out soft. His gaze fell to her hand on his arm. She pulled it away. Something in his eyes told her he wanted her to touch him again. More. The heat of his stare pulled her in, but he turned away first and walked over to the boxes he’d dragged in while she was on the phone. He took the long, thick down coat from the top of them and came back and handed it to her.

“I pulled this out of one of the boxes from your mother’s closet. I didn’t think anything from yours would fit after all these years. You probably don’t want to wear your mother’s clothes, but I thought this jacket might suit you. You need something better than the one you brought. Plus it’s another thing that got ruined in the snow.”

She took the deep purple coat and held it to her chest, smelling it and rubbing her hand over the material. She remembered her mother wearing it, cheering and clapping her hands together as Iris raced Risi down the mountain on sleds.

“Thank you. Purple was my mother‘s favorite color.”

“I gathered that from your parents room.”

“That’s right, you oversaw the people who packed everything. Thank you, Barry, for everything.”

He turned and walked into the kitchen.

“What are you doing now?“

“Making dinner. If I don’t feed you, I’ll need to buy you a smaller size. Lord knows there’s barely anything of you to look at as it is.”

She laughed and retorted, “Is that why all the sweaters have V-necks, because I’ve got nothing for you to look at?” She pointedly looked at her full breasts and up at him.

His gaze blazed a trail from her face to her breasts. “Iris, I like looking at everything there is about you.”

The heat in that look promised a hell of a lot more than looking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that chapter. It was a long one. I’m sorry this update is a little late. Life right now is challenging. I think I bit off more than I can chew trying to write two stories at the same time. My kudos to all the wonderful writers that seem to do it with such ease. I’m going to try and update both of my stories in a timely manner but please note that updates may not be as frequent as they have been in the past. I hope you understand. I hope you all are well, safe, happy and healthy. And if I don’t say it enough, THANK YOU for all the words of support, encouragement and kindness you have showed me. It’s so appreciated. From my heart to yours.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris continue to grow closer.

Barry watched Iris from the kitchen while he prepared dinner. Nothing special, just a couple of pork chops he picked up at the store. He put them in the cast-iron skillet to fry along with the onions he’d chopped earlier.

He could still feel the heat of her touch on his arm. The kiss surprised him. Not that the simple kiss sparked something inside him, but the intensity with which it spread through his system and made him crave more. It took everything he had not to grab hold of her and crush his mouth to hers. She tasted sweet, like his favorite strawberry pie.

He’d bought Patty a pair of gold earrings once. Something special for her birthday. He didn’t remember feeling this damn good about giving her the present as he did seeing Iris’s eyes light up when she saw the boots and sweaters. Nothing special. Just what he owed her and something to protect her feet. Still, you would have thought by the look on her face he bought her diamonds. Men probably had in the past. She said she liked to have fun with the guys she dated, nothing serious. Judging by the photos of her out on the town on the TV news reports, he had no doubt she didn’t spend many nights alone. That thought stopped him cold. Then he thought about it again and the shy way she’d kissed him and touched his arm. Not practiced or seductive, but a real and true show of affection for what he’d done for her.

He thought of their argument earlier and the angry kiss she planted on him, a strange punishment for the stupid thing he said. Every minute he spent in her company, he got to know her better, and with every new thing he learned, he wanted to know more. He’d even told her about Patty. He’d never talked about what happened with anyone. Not even his brothers.

The longer she spent with him, the more she let her guard down and began to trust in him. She would have plenty of time to get to know him over the next couple of days. One hell of a storm was rolling in and they’d be lucky if the snow didn’t bury them up to their necks. He hoped the satellite didn’t go out, but with thick clouds covering the sky, no doubt they would lose service. He hoped to keep track of what was happening with the murder investigation through the news and Internet. He didn’t want to get caught in any more of her uncle’s surprises.

The salad went together in a matter of minutes. He flipped the pork chops in the pan and grabbed the cornbread muffins he bought at the store. He turned the oven to warm and put four muffins on a baking pan and set them to heat.

Iris surfed the Web, looking for information on the detective and ties he had in the department and community. She moved her back this way and that to ease the pain etching lines in her forehead. Her discomfort disturbed him on a level he didn’t want to evaluate too close. The whole thing with the sweaters already made him think he’d gone mad.

Unable able to watch her squirm in pain, he pulled the pitcher of iced tea from the fridge and poured her a glass. He went to the cabinet by the phone and pulled out the bottle of ibuprofen he kept there for those nights when working in the stables left him aching and sore.

She stood and limped toward him. He met her halfway in the dining area. “Here. If you won’t take those pain meds, take these. They’ll take the edge off.”

“Thanks.” She popped the pills in her mouth and downed three quarters of the glass of iced tea and let out a huge sigh. “I was really thirsty.”

“Let’s get something straight. You’ve got nowhere else to stay because your house is empty. I’m happy to let you stay here as long as you like. This is the kitchen.” He indicated with a sweep of his arm. “I keep the food in here. If you’re thirsty, get something to drink. If you’re hungry, grab something out of the fridge or cupboards. For God’s sake, help yourself to whatever you want.”

“Why are you mad at me?”

“I’m not,” he snapped. “I’m mad at me. It’s nearly seven at night, and you’ve had nothing to eat or drink all day. How do you exist without any coffee in the morning?”

“That accounts for the raging caffeine withdrawal headache.”

He swore and went back to the fridge and pulled out a soda. “Drink this. It’s full of caffeine and should help.”

“Thanks.”

“Stop thanking me. If you want something, don’t stop to ask, just grab it.” If you want me, grab me. I won’t mind. Barry thought to himself. He had never wanted any woman as much as he wanted her.

“Thanks. I took one of your spare toothbrushes already, but the soda and that food are really what I need.”

“I should’ve fed you.”

“It’s not like you stopped to eat today either.”

“I ate a huge breakfast before you got up and drank three cups of coffee while I waited for you. I ate a sandwich and half a bag of chips on my way home from the store.”

Barry went back to the stove and took the meat off the burner. He pulled the pan of cornbread from the oven and set it on the stove.

“That smells like heaven. You’re a really good cook.”

“You haven’t even tasted it yet.”

“If it tastes half as good as it looks, I’ll love it.”

“So you really don’t know how to cook?”

“Not really. We have Mary. She’s an amazing cook. And I eat out a lot.”

He wanted to ask her with whom. Thoughts of her out at the nightclubs flashed in his mind, those skimpy outfits he’d seen her in on TV this morning. But he remembered what she said about how he didn’t know her, so he asked, “Really? I bet they’ve got some great restaurants in New York. Got a favorite?”

“Several. My sister and I loved this Italian place called Mama’s. This little hole in the wall most people would walk right by, but we loved it there. Family owned, Mama’s cooks the best lasagna in the city. The Florentine fettuccine alfredo is to die for.”

He smiled, liking her this way. “What else did you and your sister like to do?” Genuinely interested, he kept his gaze steady on her, prompting her to keep talking.

“Broadway.”

“Really?”

“We loved the plays. Our mother used to drag our dad, but I think he secretly liked it. They took us all the time. We still go. Kind of a tradition. Especially the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes. Every year. We never miss it.”

She caught herself talking about her sister in the present tense. Like they’d go see a show next week.

“Sit at the table, sweetheart. I’ll just be a minute with the rest of the dinner.”

She took the seat facing him in the kitchen and put her sore foot up on the chair across from her. He grabbed a plastic bag from the drawer and went to the freezer. He filled the bag, took it to the cutting board, used the meat tenderizer to smash the ice cubes into bits, sealed the bag, and took it to the table.

“Here, I can do that.”

“I’ve got it.” He reached under the table and undid the straps on the brace and carefully slipped it off. He placed the bag over her swollen ankle over her sock. “Better.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. According to the news this morning, Risi attended school. Something about getting her MBA from Columbia, right? What about you?”

“I finished mine through the University of Indiana‘s online business program last month. I’ve taken a few more classes at NYU.”

“Seriously? The University of Indiana?” He set her plate and his on the table and went back to the kitchen and grabbed the silverware and napkins.

“Don’t turn your nose up at Indiana, Mr. Central City University. They are the top rated online business program in the country. It may not be Columbia, but it’s a great program.”

“Why do it online? I imagine you went to the same private schools with your sister and got a top notch education.”

“All true, but Risi went right out of high school. What can I say, I like having fun with my friends, but it’s not like the press makes out. Plus that life gets boring real fast. I was eighteen, young, and having fun. Then I remembered Risi and I are a team. I owed my parents better than that, so I went back to school and spent most of my time trying to catch up to her. You see, in order for us to inherit at twenty five, we each have to have either an MBA, or have worked for the company full-time for five years.”

“So your sister went the traditional college route, attending classes and working part time at the company. You worked full-time at the company and did your classes online.”

“Exactly. My sister attended school and worked in the executive offices. She played the part my parents wanted for us and my uncle expected. Over the last five years, I’ve worked in almost every department from the mailroom up. Never more than three months, I take whatever position is open in the other department that would be a step up from the last. That way, when we took over, we’d understand how the company worked from the ground up. We’d go to dinner once a week and talk about the company, how things are being run by the managers in place, what needed to be changed or tweaked, and we’d bring those items up to the executive staff. We never wanted to take over the company from the people my father left in charge of running it, we wanted to contribute and be a real part of the team.”

“That sounds like a very good plan for learning the business and understanding all the working parts.”

“Exactly. How could we spend all of our time in school and then take over one day, having no idea what the company did and how to manage it? Just because we had the degree didn’t guarantee we knew what we were doing. Our father worked hard to build the company out of next to nothing. He deserved for us to take the opportunity he gave us and do it right. We owed that to the people who have worked for him and after him to keep the company running and prosperous. Everything we have is because of them and we didn’t want to walk in one day, take over, and make anyone think we didn’t appreciate everything they’ve done. People in the company are skeptical when I start in a new department. I mean, I don’t give them a choice about my taking the job, but once they see I’m serious about learning how to do it and how they run the department, they come around and are encouraging.”

“Do you tell them why you’re working in all the departments?”

“No. Not outright. At first they think I can’t make up my mind about what I want to do. That, or that I’m just doing the bare minimum to get what’s mine.”

“They don’t believe that for long, though, do they?”

“No. I seem to have a hard time pulling back from doing what is necessary. I take every job seriously. I want to do it right. Mediocre just seems……..”

“Half assed,” he supplied.

She smirked and nodded her agreement. “Yes. Still my uncle thinks I’m nothing but a waste.”

“When you take over, is he out?”

“No. That’s the thing. Nothing would’ve changed for him, including the massive salary he’s paid. He’d still answer to the executive staff. We join that team, but no one person holds all the power in the company. This whole bizarre plot is about money and power and control. It’s just so stupid and ridiculous. If he wanted more money, Risi and I would have given it to him. He sold the paintings probably for millions. He stole the money you paid for the ranch. Why? How much is enough? Does it have to be everything?”

Barry didn’t get it either. Iris and Risi by all accounts were kind women. He believed if their uncle wanted more, they’d have given it. For nothing more than because he was family.

He changed the subject back to the business. “Is the company public?”

“No. It’s privately held. We own more than seventy percent of the business.”

“How is it that your company does small appliances; restaurant, farm, and manufacturing equipment; and botanical cosmetics? That’s an odd mix.”

“If my father had lived, I don’t doubt he’d have added several other odd enterprises. He bought the restaurant appliance business a couple of years after he started running it for my mother’s family businesses. You know all those coffee houses with cappuccino machines that spit out lattes and caramel macchiatos? My favorite, by the way. Well, most of those machines are West. We also make ovens, freezers, refrigeration units, stuff like that. My father expanded the business by partnering with another company that made small appliances. They made quality items, but lacked the business leadership to mass-produce and market their goods.”

“Your father steps in and West appliances are sold in every major department store in the country. I have one of your can openers and a coffeemaker.”

“I noticed.”

“Yet you can’t cook.”

“I can make the coffee and open a can. I know how to use every product we sell.”

“What about the makeup stuff?”

That earned him a smile and a giggle. “We started the makeup stuff. I vacationed in Vermont with friends and found this cute little shop in a small town. I needed some lotion and lip balm. It’s cold there, like it is here.”

“Dries out the skin,” he finished for her.

“Exactly. I loved the products and spoke with the owner. Turns out to be two sisters who started the company, making the products in your kitchen. Everything is organic, high-quality, natural ingredients.”

“The two sisters reminded you of you and Risi, so you made them an offer,” he guessed, earning him another of her elusive smiles.

“Yes. They were these two beautiful black sisters trying to get their business to the next level but didn’t have the capital to bring the business into the mainstream and compete with other major companies. We launched the products in a few markets last year and sales are booming in those areas. We have a huge marketing campaign and rollout of the products scheduled for the week of our birthday.”

“Your coming out party.” Barry hated the way her eyes went soft and sad, filling with more unshed tears, thinking about everything her sister would miss. They’d worked together to create their own niche in the company, add to it like their father did before them. Just when they were about to announce their new product and take their place at the company, Risi was murdered, leaving Iris to uphold the family dreams by herself.

“You wanted that business.”

“I like it and enjoy working on the products. The colors and scents.”

“Seems right up your alley. The news showed you at Fashion Week in New York and Paris.”

“With my friends, it’s hard not to get caught up in fashion and makeup and all the trends.”

Yeah, in her circle, all of that would be important. Still, she didn’t seem quite that shallow.

“The thing is, Risi and I wanted the cosmetics business to prove to our uncle that we deserved to run the company. He was always so hard to please. Nothing we ever did seemed good enough.”

“So you divided to conquer. Risi would have the school background and you’d have the company experience. Then you decided to get the MBA too. When you took over in a couple of months, you’d show him you earned it just as much as Risi.”

“With my parents gone, I wanted him to be proud of us.” She laughed bitterly.

Barry rubbed his hand up and down her forearm. To keep her from falling back into despair, he changed the subject. “Can you ride a combine tractor?”

Pride lit her eyes. “Yes I can. I spent a month at the plant in Indiana.”

“Where you now attend school.” He put together the pieces.

She laughed, and this time the smile brightened her eyes. “Yes I worked at the plant, and test drove all the equipment.”

“So you could be a farm girl after all.”

“I said I test drove it, so I’d know how to operate it. I didn’t say I was trading in my Manolo Blahniks for rubber boots.”

That made him laugh. “City girl.”

“Cowboy.”

“Hey, you own over one thousand head of cattle. That’s more than me.”

“I didn’t know about them, which is odd because I worked in that division and audited everything they oversee. If the cattle fall under Ray, why didn’t I find any records on them?”

“Maybe that’s what your sister discovered in addition to the missing paintings. Maybe your uncle has been supplementing his income with the money you make on the cattle.”

“Maybe. Are those the boxes of paperwork from my father’s office?” She cocked her head in the direction of the front door.

“Yeah. That’s everything. The thing is, I packed up those boxes myself. I didn’t see anything about paintings or the cattle. Most of it is the bills and insurance on the ranch. Nothing stood out.”

“Well, I’ll take a look and see what I find. I might notice something you didn’t. After all, you weren’t looking for anything.”

“No, not specifically, but I tried to scan all the files in case something important popped up. Your uncle wanted the stuff in storage, and he didn’t seem inclined to want to go through anything, so I thought to let him know if something important needed his attention.”

“His MO is to let others do things for him. He’ll probably send someone to go through the contents of the storage locker at a later date.”

“Lockers. The house took up five huge lockers.”

“Um, okay. I forget how big that place is. I haven’t been there since my father died in the plane crash.” Her eyes went blank on him.

“Hey, city girl, where did you go?”

“Why would Detective Singh cover up a murder for my uncle? What else has he helped cover up?”

“Maybe the sale of the paintings. I imagine it’s easier to find a buyer in New York than out here.”

“I searched the Internet for any news reports that tie the detective to the art world. Nothing. None of the newsworthy cases he’s worked have anything to do with that scene according to what I found, but that doesn’t exactly rule it out.”

“Let’s start with what we know and work from there. Tell me what happened to your sister.” She needed to talk about it, but he hated to make her relive it.

Iris told him the whole story, her voice soft and infused with anguish. His heart throbbed with the pain he felt in every detail she described from the horrendous images in her mind. “My uncle stood there, my sister dead at his feet, and told the detective to find me, put me in a hotel room, and stage an overdose. Everyone would believe it, right?”

“Except you don’t do drugs. The people who really know you wouldn’t believe it.”

Her eyes went wide with surprise that he’d know that as the truth. “No, they wouldn’t.”

He reached out and swept his thumb over her wet cheek, cupped her face in his palm, and stared into her lovely, sad eyes. “I’m sorry, Iris. I like your sister. She had your strength and grit.”

For a moment, she leaned into his touch, then pulled away, her eyes reflecting her guilt. “I’m hiding in your house. I haven’t done anything to see that he gets what he deserves.”

“You found out about the paintings. The cattle business. The sale of the ranch. We’ll find the proof you need?”

“We?”

“No one fucks with my life and gets away with it. Besides, you keep holding on to me, and I’ll keep holding on to you.” He squeezed her hand to indicate their connection.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to let go,” he admitted. Feeling exposed, he added, “Not until I know you’re safe.”

The silence between them stretched, but it never turned uncomfortable.

“They talked about her murder like it was nothing.”

“They talked about killing you like it was nothing,” he reminded her. “Are you sure he doesn’t know where you are?”

“I can’t be a hundred percent sure, but I’ve turned off my cell phone. I used cash at the airport, and haven’t used my credit cards since I left New York. I used your phone to call Mary to make the funeral arrangements. Mary will erase the caller ID and keep that a secret.”

“But you’re having your sister brought here to be buried.”

“Yes, but what difference does it make if her body is stored here or in New York? She can’t be buried until the thaw anyway. My parents are buried on the ranch. It would be strange if she isn’t brought here and buried with them.”

“You’re taking too many risks. He’ll find out and send someone after you———-or even come here himself.”

She knew the risk and took the chance anyway to see her sister buried, resting in peace with their parents. Barry didn’t like it, but changed the subject. What was done was done. He’d watch out for her if Phillip’s henchmen came calling.

“How will you prove he killed your sister?”

“That may be a bit more difficult, but not impossible. I have a couple of ideas. Also, my uncle took something for my sister’s body. I want it back.”

“What if he got rid of it?”

“I don’t think he did. There was something in the way he looked at the necklace and tucked it away in his pocket. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Like he needed to keep it and remember what he did?”

“Yes. Something very nearly like that. Odd. Disturbing, but he seemed to covet that item.”

“Your uncle is a psycho. What was he like to you growing up?”

“Distant. Uninterested. We lived in the same house, but you’d think we didn’t know each other at all. The only time he took an interest was when I was in the papers and tabloids.”

“He didn’t like your public image.”

“He believed what the papers wrote about me and my sister. When we were younger, she was by my side at most of the events before school took over her life.”

“Maybe your public life will save you.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Look at the media surrounding your sister now and the elaborate means he’s had to go to cover it up. You’ve got wealth and status. The longer you stay missing, the harder it will be for him to pull off his plan to get rid of you. I caught a couple news reports on the radio. People are already speculating about your absence in New York.”

“I didn’t think about that. My friends would expect me to step up and make a public announcement of some sort.”

“The people you know would look for you, try to contact you. They’d raise questions about your sudden disappearance, especially after your sister is found murdered.”

“My voicemail and email or probably full of messages, but I can’t check them. They’re probably tracing my phone. They’ve got my name and face splashed all over the TV. They need to find me and eliminate me to get away with Risi‘s murder.”

“Which is why you were so cautious when we met. You were afraid I’d turn you over to your uncle and the police.”

“You suspected last night that I wasn’t Risi, even before you saw the news this morning, didn’t you?”

He sat back in his chair and smiled. “It started with little things. The way you reacted when I called you Risi. You didn’t remember meeting me. You played it off, but not well enough. It piqued my curiosity, so I paid attention. Your eyes are close, but just different enough that I noticed. You don’t smell like her.”

That earned him a smile and a halfhearted laugh. “I don’t smell like her? Why are you smelling us?”

“Don’t be shocked, but I like beautiful women.”

She gave him a mocking stunned face with her eyes wide and her mouth open. It only made him smile more. He liked this playful side of her. Relaxed with him, she settled into the conversation and opened up.

“When I met Risi, the wind kicked up. I smelled her perfume. Most women smell good. You smell amazingly good.”

“You liked her perfume?”

“Hers I liked. Yours is addictive.”

“Are you flirting with me?“ She teased.

It surprised him too, because she wasn’t his type. Beautiful, smart, sexy as hell, yes, but a city girl at heart. Not the country girl he wanted. Still, he couldn’t seem to help himself and continued to hold her hand firmly in his. Lost in the conversation and the connection they shared, she didn’t realize her fingers rubbed against his skin in a hypnotic way that pulled him under her spell even more deeply than he cared to admit.

“I’m working on it. Maybe I need more practice.”

“Um, so you knew I wasn’t Risi because of my eyes and the way I smell.”

He took her change of subject in stride. They’d get to the personal stuff over time. Right now, they had bigger things to talk about and clear up.

“I didn’t know anything, except it seemed odd. I saw the news report this morning and it made sense. I met your sister, but I didn’t get to know her. I’m sorry for your loss and everything you’re going through. Whatever help you need, it’s yours, because your uncle will go down for what he’s done.”

“You mean that?”

“My father says if you aren’t a man of your word, you aren’t a man at all.”

“I like your dad.”

“I like him too.”

“Do your parents live around here?”

“About forty miles away on the family ranch. Dad’s getting older. He’ll retire soon and travel with Mom. We’re trying to convince Cisco to come home and run the place. Oliver lives a bit farther away. He’s a world-class racehorse trainer. Ralph just got married last month and lives with his wife on her family‘s ranch.”

“Where is Cisco?”

“Last I spoke to him in Nevada checking on the cattle I bought.”

“I’m sorry, Barry.”

“I know you are. You’ll make it right, but now we have bigger worries than my lack of funds and potentially losing my cattle, the horses, this place. You know, everything I have.”

“I won’t let that happen.”

He wanted to believe her. Part of him did, but if her uncle succeeded in killing her, he’d lose everything, including her. No way he would let anything happen to her for that reason, because she was an innocent and some other reasons he didn’t want to name right now. “How about we brighten things up? Dessert?”

“I loved dinner. I can’t imagine what you’ve done for dessert.”

“I picked up a double chocolate fudge cake from the bakery.”

“Well, now you’ve found my weakness.”

“Careful, I’ll exploit it,” he warned.

“By all means, I’d probably give up my fortune for chocolate.”

“I don’t want your fortune.”

“What do you want?”

He wanted to say, you, but……..“To get to know you better,” he answered honestly. “Looks like I’ll get the chance.” He cocked his head toward the window behind her.

“Oh my God, look at that snow.”

“We’re due for a couple of feet over the next three days.”

“Are you serious?”

“I never joke about snow.” Or the way he felt about Iris West.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. Firstly, I’ve had this chapter finished since Tuesday. I have debated whether or not to publish it given all the tragedy that is going on in the world. I don’t want to be tone deaf and publish this chapter and give the impression that I think fanfics are more important than activism right now. After much debate, I have decided to post because, I’m hoping, that maybe if anyone needs just a brief break from all the heartache they can turn to my work, or really any work, and just catch their breath and escape for awhile. I hope that makes sense and no one finds any offense in me publishing this chapter at this time. 
> 
> Secondly, thank you so much for your patience. It’s been almost four weeks since I published an update. At first I had a bit of writer’s block, then that terrible self doubting voice of mine just took over and really had me questioning my work. But I’m back, trying to conquer my demons, and hopefully stay on track. 
> 
> Thirdly, I will be publishing chapter twelve today as well. This will be a very short chapter checking in to see what dastardly Uncle Phillip is up to. And finally, thank you so much for all your lovely, kind comments. I appreciate them and each of you. I’m sorry if I’m slow to respond sometimes—life, family, anxiety, demons—they all seem to get in the way at times. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please be safe and stay well.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uncle Phillip questions Mary and continues to plot against Iris with Detective Singh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you missed it, I published chapter 11 about an hour ago. Two new chapters in one day.

Philip sat behind his desk in the library now that the police had released the scene of the crime, his hand wrapped around a tumbler of bourbon, even though he’d like to wrap it around the cook’s scrawny neck.

“Mary, you took some clothes and shoes to the mortuary.” 

Her gaze shot from the glass to meet his. “Yes, sir.”

“I’m still not clear what prompted you to take such initiative.”

“I’ve been with the girls since the day their parents brought them home. You are dealing with so much, what with the investigation into Risi’s death and Iris’s disappearance. It’s not right to leave Risi at the morgue. Friends and distant relatives have called asking about the services. I needed to do something.”

The tears gathering in Mary’s eyes didn’t affect him.

“Yet you didn’t set up a service. You instructed them to send the body to Montana when it’s released. Why?”

“Mr. and Mrs. West are buried on the ranch property. It’s only fitting Risi is buried with them. I thought it better her body be stored at a mortuary in Central City rather than New York, so we can bury her as soon as her grave can be prepared after that thaw. Besides, we can’t have the service with the ongoing investigation and without Iris.”

Made sense, but she was still lying about something.

“Have you spoken to Iris?”

“No, sir.”

The lie rolled off the old lady’s lips so easily. She’d always been protective of those girls.

“You’d do anything for them.”

“Of course. It’s my job,” she added.

“And you want to keep your job and the sizable pension set aside for you when you retire from your position here. That pension goes away if you’re fired.”

The doorbell rang, saving her from answering his warning. Iris was too smart to tell the cook anything important, but he had to try just in case she might actually know something.

“Get that. If it’s anyone but Detective Singh, send them away.” Before Mary exited the library, he said, “You should consider what will happen to you if I find out you’re lying.”

Her head came up and her steady gaze met his. “I do not know where Iris is.” She left to do her job and see who was at the front door.

Philip believed her. Oh, he knew she had spoken to Iris, but she didn’t know where the girl was hiding. Which begged the question. Why was Iris hiding? All she had to do was come forward and accuse him of murdering Risi. He had made sure the evidence was stacked against her, but she’d, at the very least, raise suspicions about Risi’s death

Only one answer came to mind. Iris was coming after him and he’d better be ready. He needed to find her and teach her a lesson about going up against him.

Detective Singh knocked on the open door to get his attention before closing it and walking over to take the seat in front of the desk. He eyed the glass of bourbon, the only outward sign Philip remained nervous about this situation. Philip normally didn’t drink this early in the day, but he needed it to calm his nerves.

“Did you find out where Risi went those three days?” Philip took a sip of his drink, trying to keep calm.

“She’s as cagey as her sister. There’s nothing on her credit cards. She withdrew two thousand dollars from her bank the day she disappeared.” Detective Singh rubbed his hand over his brow. “I’m still checking video surveillance at the airport, but it’s a lot of footage to comb through. In the meantime, I’m being pressured to bring Iris in for questioning. My superiors want to see progress on this case. I’ve tied the gun to Iris and can present the evidence to my superiors when we’re ready. The press reported the possible motive. We either see this through or come up with another plan and shifts the focus somewhere else.”

“We can’t. We need to move forward, find her, and shut her up immediately. Give another press conference. Offer a reward for information to locate her. When you find her, kill her and make it look like she resisted arrest and tried to flee. You had no choice but to shoot her.”

“That will get my superiors off my back, but bring in internal affairs.”

“I’ll handle that for you. I have someone in the department.” Philip didn’t say who.

“I don’t like putting my ass and career on the line, or all these loose ends.”

“Then do your job and find her and tie this up.”

“It’s not exactly that easy when the girl’s got more money than God. She could be anywhere.”

“How far can she get without accessing her accounts?”

“With friends as rich as she is, pretty damn far.”

“Check with them.”

“I have. None of them has heard from her. They are all worried and anxious, demanding I find her. They think whoever killed Risi may have abducted her. Even the press is suspicious about her disappearing from the public eye.”

“If you believe her friends haven’t been in contact with her, then she’s out there on her own. Find her before this all blows up in our faces.”

“If it does, don’t expect me to cover your ass.”

“Don’t expect me to help you. I’ll be out of the country, living the good life, while you rot in a cell if it comes to that.”

The detective knew when to cut his losses. He rose from his chair and walked out of the room without another word.

Philip downed the last of his bourbon, spun his chair around to stare out the windows at the afternoon sun bathing Central Park in golden light and tried not to think about what might happen if Iris uncovered all his secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading these two latest chapters. As always, I hope you are enjoying this story. Please take care and be safe. My heart is with you all.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris continue to try and fight their intense attraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my reader PH, thank you for asking about this work. It meant a lot.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Iris bolted upright, pulled from the nightmare, the blood spreading over her sister’s chest, Risi’s lifeless brown eyes staring at her, begging her to do something, by a hand touching her shoulder. She grabbed hold and looked up, ready to fight off her attacker. Her breath came out in a whoosh.

“It’s me, Barry. I’m here. You’re safe.”

She sank back against the dining chair and let out a ragged breath. Barry set a coffee mug on the dining table in front of her on top of one of the stacks of papers she’d spent most of the night going through with a fine tooth comb.

“Are you okay?” He ran his hand down the back of her head to her neck and rubbed at her stiff muscles. The butterflies in her belly took flight into a whirlwind of awareness. The ruggedly handsome man standing this close to her sent a wave of heat rolling through her system. Like gravity, he drew her in.

“I’m tired and frustrated and pissed off. There’s nothing here.” She had spent the whole night crossing her eyes looking at the papers, only to come up empty.

“If we have to go through every box in the storage lockers, we’ll find the evidence.”

“That’s just it. I don’t think it’s there.”

“Where would Risi hide it?”

“If I knew that I’d go and get it.” She leaned her head against his arm. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’ve been up all night.”

“That’s no excuse for snapping at you.”

“Yeah, well, you need to let go of my hand now. I’m a nice guy, but I’m not dead.”

Iris dropped her gaze to his hand lying on her chest, his fingers spread wide over her breast. Both her hands locked around his wrist. The sight of his big hand touching her so intimately sent a shaft of heat and electricity rushing through her system. Her nipples tightened and heat shot through her veins and pooled low in her belly. Her face and ears burned with embarrassment.

She loosened her hold, and his big hand swept up her chest and neck, his warm fingers cupping her chin and tilting her face up to his. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead and met her gaze. Surprised and touched by the sweet gesture, she could only stare when he smiled.

“Sorry.”

“I’m not. You look good in my shirt.”

Time stopped. The moment stretched. Neither of them moved.

The Kenny Rogers T-shirt had become her favorite sleep attire over the last few days. She’d given him back his sweatpants after tripping one too many times on the long legs. She wore her sister’s leggings.

His gaze dipped to her mouth and back to her eyes. She thought he might kiss her. The last kiss she gave him had been too quick, but it packed a punch. She’d meant it as a thank you for helping her and never expected it to mean so much more. Even in her dazed and sad state, she’d recognized the unique and overpowering attraction between them.

His fingers smoothed over her cheeks. “Go to bed. You need your rest.” 

“What time is it?“ She grabbed his hand, turned his arm so she could look at his watch, and jumped up from her seat to grab the remote for the TV. She forgot about her ankle, stumbled, and tried to take the weight off her foot, but only managed to throw herself off balance even more. Strong arms locked around her waist and hauled her upright before she took a nosedive into the wood floor.

“Whoa now. Where is the fire?”

“It’s almost seven. Top of the hour of the national news. Risi will be one of the first stories. I need to find out what my uncle is doing now.” She turned her head to look out the window. A light snowfall fell from the sky. Nothing like the whiteout from last night. “Do you think the satellite is working?”

“Should be. The snow’s not that thick right now. Give it a try.”

She tried to take a step, but he held her close against his chest. She settled into him and looked over her shoulder and up at his handsome face.

“Slow down. Be careful.”

Was that a warning about her ankle, their budding relationship, or for himself where she was concerned? She didn’t know. Didn’t care. It had been too long since anyone took care of her. Without her sister to look out for her anymore, she had no one left. No one but this strong and steady cowboy who went out of his way at every turn for her.

She shifted in his arms, facing him. He never let her go, but held her in a light embrace, his gaze steady on her face, waiting to see what she would do. She wrapped her arms around his neck, went up on a tiptoe, and laid her chin on his shoulder and hugged him close. The sense of warmth and safety she always felt around him amplified. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“I’ll never let you fall, Iris. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“You’re not like any man I’ve ever met.”

Which was why she was drawn to him. He didn’t take anything for granted. Spoke his mind and meant what he said. Protected what he loved and the principles he believed in. He didn’t have an ulterior motive for the things he did for her. He just wanted to help someone in need. Generous and kind. Yeah, she didn’t know many men like him.

She settled into him again. “I still haven’t found what I need. I don’t know what to do.” Comfortable in his arms, maybe she had found one thing she needed. She didn’t know what to do about him either.

His hands swept up her back and down, settling on her hips. He gently set her away and stared down at her. “Turn on the TV. See what that bastard is up to now. One step at a time. We’ll figure this out.”

The strange pull between them sent her back up on her tiptoe, but this time, Barry leaned down to meet her halfway. His lips met hers and settled, their gazes locked. She pulled back an inch, watching him, his eyes filling with passion like she’d never seen in any other man she dated. She brushed her lips against his again. Felt that pull turn to demand. She sank into him, opened to him when his tongue touched her lips in a soft caress that asked so much without a word spoken between them. Words weren’t needed, not when everything inside her sighed and said, This is where I’m meant to be. Right here. Right now. Always. She never thought anything like this would happen to her. She’d never trusted fully in the people around her, who always seemed to want something. Wealth gave her opportunities and things, but it kept her lonely, especially after a few incidents where friends turned out to be leeches, taking and taking and giving nothing significant back.

Barry swept his hand up her spine and pulled her closer, banding his other arm around her waist. She gave herself over to the kiss, his taste, his strength wrapped around her, and the knowledge that this man wanted only one thing———her.

Dangerous ground. Her mother had loved her father so deeply, it consumed her. When she lost him, she lost her will to live. Iris usually kept men at a distance and never allowed herself to feel anything more than lust the few times she found someone appealing enough to date.

With Barry, she felt the rush of blood heating her body, the need to be closer, and the affection in her heart and mind for the man. The weight of grief lifted, the anger subsided, the frustration over not finding the evidence waned, and all she knew was she and Barry locked in this moment. The kiss, the way he made her feel, she sank into both, absorbed it all and sighed, settling into him———them. Connected in a way she’d never felt, he ended the kiss with a brush of his lips over hers and a sweep of his hand over the side of her face and into her hair, pushing it back over her shoulder.

“God, you’re so beautiful.”

She had heard similar compliments from countless others, men she’d dated, women at parties and get-togethers, said with a smile and air kisses next to her cheek, but little sincerity behind the words. Barry’s softly spoken declaration sank into her heart, took root, and wrapped her in such a sense of belonging she found herself at a complete loss for what to say.

She reached up and touched her hand to his hard jaw and leaned her forehead to his chin. His arms contracted around her.

“It’s going to be okay.”

She believed him. It wasn’t okay right now. It wouldn’t be for a long time. But somehow, someway, she’d make it to okay again. When she did, she’d stand in this man’s arms and feel all the wild emotions she felt right now for him without all the pain and heartache, and she’d finally be okay again.

Barry did something that went against every command of every cell in his body and set Iris away from him, instead of pulling her closer. He held her by the shoulders and stared down into her upturned face. He traced his finger across her brow and drew her long bangs to the side and tucked the strands behind her ear like he’d seen her do a dozen times. He thought the gesture sexy as hell. Everything about her appealed to him, but he found the odd things she did——like scrunching up one side of her mouth when she didn’t like what she was thinking——stuck with him. They made him smile on the inside and want to draw closer to her, know her better.

He’d never cared enough about anyone besides his family to wonder what made her scrunch her face like that, or to want to make her happy, because he couldn’t stand to see her so sad. Worst was listening to her cry in the night. He hated feeling so inadequate to heal her pain and make her smile. He wished he could bring her sister back, stop all this madness with her uncle, and keep her safe. Always.

If he thought he had loved Patty, and his need to protect and hold on to Iris was a hundred times stronger than anything he’d ever felt for Patty, then what was this thing he had with Iris?

Dangerous. He knew how it would end, but didn’t have an ounce of self-preservation. He let it ride, because any amount of time he spent with her was worth it, even when he knew it would end in pain and loss. Again. But this time would be worse, and still he gave in to the compulsion to be with her.

“Turn the TV on before you miss the news.”

“Um, yeah, right.”

He liked the way she hesitated to leave his side, but she refocused with a determination he had grown to admire more and more over the last few days. She felt things were moving too slowly, but she never stopped. She would never back down. Not until she avenged her sister. He had no doubt she’d do it too. That said more about who she was then a thousand pictures of her walking out of a nightclub, or vacationing in some exotic location, wearing outrageously expensive dresses and shoes. Young, she should be out having fun with her friends.

Hadn’t he done practically the same thing, riding the rodeo circuit from town to town, sleeping with random women, drinking, and having fun with his friends?

Those thoughts brought several others. Like maybe she was too young for him. Six years her senior; what the hell would she want with a guy his age, living in the middle of nowhere? Same story, different woman. The best he could do for a nightclub was the honky-tonk in town filled to the rafters with drunk cowboys, who outnumbered the women by at least four to one. She’d certainly have her pick of the litter. Not that she’d be interested in a bar full of rowdy cowboys when she was used to the jet setting crowd. Still, it wasn’t like they had nothing in common. She loved the horses and the quiet solitude of the ranch. They had the same taste in movies and music. Over time, he bet they’d find all kinds of things they both liked. If she stayed with him long enough to do that. Which wasn’t likely, he reminded himself.

“What’s that strange look on your face?” She asked, standing by the sofa, staring back at him. “Are you upset with me?”

“No.” The edge to his tone made her frown and narrow her pretty brown eyes on him. “Sorry. I’m fine. Just thinking.” Distracted by his own thoughts, he hadn’t paid attention to the TV. “What’s on the news today?”

“A thirty seven car pileup in New Hampshire killed eight people.”

“More good news, huh?”

“The NASDAQ is up nine points.”

“I’ll call my accountant and tell him to sell. Oh, wait. I don’t have an accountant or a 401(k).”

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing. I’ve been cooped up in the house too long.”

“You just came back in after spending an hour out in the stables with the horses.”

“So. Winter isn’t exactly my favorite time of year. Too much snow and bad weather keep me indoors when I’d rather be outside.”

“Then why don’t you move?”

“This is home. I love it here.”

Her lips tilted in a half smile and she shook her head at his contrary statements and mood.

The paper towel commercial ended and the reporter appeared on the screen again. “In other news, Philip West has offered a one hundred thousand dollar reward for information leading to the whereabouts of his niece Iris West, who has just been named a person of interest in her sister Risi West’s murder. Wanted for questioning, the New York socialite hasn’t been seen in three days, causing speculation as to where she is and why she hasn’t come forward to make a statement about her sister’s death. Sources tell us the twins were due to inherit their parents estate, including West Enterprises, on their upcoming twenty fifth birthday if they met the terms of the will. Inside sources confirm the police have evidence that shows the sisters fought and Risi West was upset her sister wasn’t living up to the terms. Risi recently earned her MBA from Columbia University and graduated summa cum laude, while Iris earned high marks for fashion and late night partying. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Iris West, you’re asked to call the number on your screen.”

Iris turned from the TV and faced him. “He put a bounty on my head. I can’t go anywhere now. Someone will recognize me. How the hell am I supposed to figure out where my sister hid the evidence with the entire country looking for me?”

“Maybe it’s not that bad.” Barry tried to sound convincing, but even he couldn’t pull it off with the worry and fear building in his gut. Some people would do just about anything to get their hands on that money. People like Eddie, who had seen her and knew she was with Barry. He kept those thoughts to himself, but the smart woman was two steps ahead of him.

“Eddie will contact the company and tell them I’m here. They’ll send people to scour Montana to find me. He’ll want the contents of the house, thinking Risi came here and found something. I’ll never have a chance to go through everything now.”

“First, Eddie isn’t likely to watch the news.” She nodded, agreeing to his assessment of Eddie and his TV watching priorities. His preference probably leaned more to porn. Lord knows, the only person he’d get lucky with was himself. “Second, I’m telling you, there isn’t anything in that stuff that pertains to the cattle or the paintings. Unless you found something in those papers, there’s nothing to find.”

“There’s something. There has to be. This is the last place she came. She spent two days here. Where did she go? Who did she see? What did she find? That’s what I came here to investigate and now I’ll never have the chance. He wins.”

“Wait. Stop. His plan is unraveling. If you come forward and tell the police he killed your sister, they’ll have to investigate, and he won’t be able to stage a drug overdose for you and make it look convincing.”

“I don’t have any proof. It’s his word against mine. He’s got a detective who can make the evidence lab falsify reports on his side. How many other officials are in his pocket who can cover this up and make it look like I murdered my sister?”

“Then we stick to the plan. Find the evidence and bring it to the authorities. There has to be something you missed. You knew your sister better than anyone. You share the same DNA. You know how she thinks. How did she find out about your uncle and what he did? What would she do to find the proof? Where would she start?”

“Not here. Not at the ranch. Something prompted her to come here?”

“Okay, so what brought her here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Think. Something he said to her. Something he did at your house, or at the company that piqued her interest. What changed about her over the last few days you saw her?”

“Nothing. She worked as usual. Then she disappeared for three days. I thought maybe she found someone special and ran off for a lovers weekend.”

“Wouldn’t she tell you about that?”

“We shared everything, but I thought maybe she’d fallen for a guy and wanted to keep it private until she knew for sure. I thought she wanted to keep it for herself for a little while.”

“Because you shared everything and something like that she’d want to hold on to because it’s hers,” he guessed.

“Yes. We only know what it’s like to be identical twins and have our experiences and lives so intertwined that nothing is ever really just ours. I thought she’d found something special. Someone that was hers to share her life outside of sharing mine.” Choked up, a tear rolled down her cheek, followed by a dozen more. “She’ll never fall in love, get married, and have a family of her own. I’ll never have nieces and nephews to spoil. We were supposed to grow old together. I don’t know how to live without my other half. I turn to tell her something ten times a day and she isn’t there.” Iris started to cry and fell into his arms when he reached for her. Her hands clutched his shirt and she buried her face in his chest. “I’m all alone, and I don’t know how to be just me when it was always us.”

Every heart wrenching word tore at his heart. The depth of her sadness made him ache to his bones. He didn’t know what to do, or what to say. Nothing will bring her sister back, or make her feel better.

She exploded out of his arms and paced away and turned to face him. “I was too late. I should’ve run faster. Gotten there sooner. I left her there. I didn’t do anything!”

“You lived. And that’s okay, Iris. It’s what she wanted.”

“I was right there. I should have saved her.”

“HOW? Your uncle wants you both dead. What were you going to do, walk in there so he could kill both of you and make it look like a murder suicide? Stop beating yourself up and thinking you deserved to die in her place. You knew each other better than anyone. She knew you’d finish this, so think like her and tell me, what would Risi do if she discovered something about your uncle?” He hadn’t meant to yell at her, but she needed to focus on what she could do, not what she didn’t do and couldn’t have prevented in the first place.

Iris sucked in a ragged breath and focused on him. She wiped her wet eyes with the back of her hands. “She is………..was…….. meticulous about her schoolwork and job. She took notes. She kept her files and homework organized. She researched everything like crazy. If she found something that didn’t fit, she’d investigate and figure out how it did, or why it was out of place.”

“So she probably found something at the company and it led her here.”

“That’s the only thing that makes sense, but I don’t know what she found.” Iris stared off in the distance, her gaze on the window and the snow covered fields outside. “She discovered the cattle. That’s the only thing at the company that ties to the ranch. But it’s not enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“It doesn’t account for how angry she was about what my uncle did. So he kept the money earned from the cattle. That’s small compared to what the company makes on the whole.”

“What if the cattle is the tip of the iceberg? The cattle led her to investigate further and she found something else.”

“Possibly. Yes. It had to be something more to make her that outraged and to tie in to the fact that Uncle Phillip admitted he and the detective had covered up a hell of a lot more.”

“So Risi discovered the cattle scam and started going back in the company records to see how far back your uncle’s deceit went. What else did he do?”

“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out. I have an idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry there has been such a long delay in updating this story. As I’m sure you are all aware life gets in the way of even the most earnest efforts. I appreciate your patience and sticking with this story. I appreciate you all so much and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I might not be able to respond to your comments on this chapter but please know how much I appreciate them and love reading them. Love you all.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris asks for help from an unexpected source and uncovers some disturbing information.

Iris had spent some quality time in the IT department at the company and became fast friends with a very interesting employee, who had a talent for coding. The company wasted Felicity’s talent on menial tasks. She and Risi promoted her. Their systems had never been more secure and their databases had not been used more productively in years. They’d reap the benefits for years to come with targeted marketing campaigns and improved customer service.

Right now, Iris needed Felicity‘s skill set for an entirely different reason.

She used the pre-paid mobile phone Barry picked up in town that morning when the snow had let up for a bit. She texted a message to the private number Felicity used for family and friends to contact her when they crashed their computers, needed to install a new program, and just messed up something and couldn’t figure it out. Felicity cursed people for clicking on every emailed link, unknowingly opening themselves up to spyware and viruses. She joked that even her mother contacted her more for technical support to get her back on her beloved cooking websites than just to say hi and catch up.

Iris: I need your help. Risi needs your help.

Felicity: What is going on? No way you killed Risi.

Iris: No. Someone just as close to her did. Help me prove it.

Iris held her breath, waiting the thirty seconds it took Felicity to make her decision. Did she believe her?

Felicity: What do you need?

Iris: UNTRACEABLE access to The West Enterprises database systems.

Iris bit her thumbnail. Barry’s hand settled over hers and made her stop. The seconds ticked by, turning into minutes with no message.

“Why doesn’t she answer already?” Barry asked.

“I just asked her to commit what is probably a felony.”

“It’s your company. Your data.”

“If I’m convicted of my sister’s murder and she helps me, she could be in a world of trouble.”

Felicity: Access the system using the link I’m sending you. Login under the admin account I showed you, using the PW I gave you.

“Do you know what she’s talking about?” Barry asked.

“Yes.” She stared up at Barry, unable to hide her excitement. Finally, a chance to do something to avenge her sister.

Iris: Thank you, Felicity.

Felicity: I’m sorry about Risi. I hope you find what you need.

Her phone beeped again with the URL. She typed it into Barry’s laptop. “I’m in.”

“Start with the cattle business. See where that leads you,” Barry suggested.

“I’ll do that right after I check my sister’s emails, files, and calendar to see if she left any more clues.”

It took Iris twenty minutes to discover the only thing out of place in her sister’s organized electronic world. 

Friday——-2:30 PM———Mechanic————27 Elk Rd., Central City, Montana.

No name. Her fingers flew across the keyboard for another ten minutes, digging for anything she could find on the address. Frustrated, she slammed her hands on the table, startling Barry watching TV on the couch.

“What’s wrong?”

“I found an appointment for Friday with an address here in Central City.”

“Really? Who did she meet?”

“I’m not sure. Everything tied to the address is in Tom Wright’s name, along with three other addresses.”

“Rental property,” Barry guessed.

“Right. We need to go and see who really lives there.” Iris stood to grab her jacket.

“Hold on. We can’t go now.”

“Why? This is a lead. A place to start. If my sister met with someone at this address, we have to check it out.”

“Iris.” Barry dragged out her name. “Look out the window.”

The whiteout snowfall that started last night, but had waned this morning, thickened with every passing moment. Dark, ominous clouds in the distance promised even more. She turned back to Barry just as that “Severe Storm Warning” alert flashed across the TV screen.

“We caught a lucky break after breakfast when I went to get you that phone, but in another hour, we’ll be lucky to have power, let alone a satellite signal. So, if you want to keep searching the company records, you better hurry up. We’re about to be stuck here for at least a couple of days.”

“No.” Her voice rose with her conviction. She attempted a more rational tone. “We have to go now.”

“It’s not safe. But you will be for the next few days, because if we can’t get out, no way anyone comes here for you either.”

She held his intense stare. “Barry.” She pleaded with her gaze for him to understand the urgency building inside of her bones to do something. Now.

“I give you my word, as soon as the storm passes and the roads are safe to travel, I’ll go to that address and find whoever lives there. I’ll make them tell me what they know about your sister.”

“You swear.”

“I don’t break my promises.”

He was right. Frustrated, but resigned, she sat back at the computer determined to find anything else tied to her uncle.

Over the next two hours, she discovered a few more interesting facts. The cattle business contracts were buried in the system. Money got paid out to the Thawne’s Ranch, but no income came in, which could only mean the income went to an account outside of West Enterprises. Probably directly to her uncle.

She checked on Ray Palmer, the guy in charge of Western Operations. Interesting that his salary increased ten percent every year with a substantial bonus, when the company’s employees raises averaged five percent. Bonuses were given to key employees, but Ray received the largest, besides the executive staff. Reading between the lines, she guessed Ray overlooked the lack of income from the cattle business, orchestrating her uncle’s embezzlement.

Her uncle hadn’t started with the cattle, though. Barry had been right about that. His deceit went further back. All the way back to two years before her parents died. Once she knew what to look for, or rather what wasn’t there, namely income to match the orders going out, it was easy to follow the trail and uncover who else in the company covered it up.

“What’s with the big sigh?” Barry asked from the sofa, his arm draped along the back. Casually handsome, yet she felt his interest and restraint while he waited out the storm and the tedious computer investigation she performed despite the fact they both wanted to act on the one lead they had that might actually end this for her uncle.

“My uncle’s embezzlement goes all the way back to when my father ran the company. It’s more than him taking the income from the cattle business, despite the company paying Thawne Ranch. Take the small appliances division. Deliveries went out to two particular distributors, but payment didn’t come in. Same thing on the restaurant side. They aren’t huge accounts, but still, the balances don’t add up. In some cases, the price of stock going out doesn’t match the income coming in. Some accounts get heavy discounts because of volume, but nothing like this.”

“Why didn’t your accounting department find these discrepancies?”

“Because my uncle had the accountant in his pocket. The person in charge of these accounts gets a very high salary and bonus each year. Like Ray Palmer, who runs the Western Operations division the cattle ranch falls under.”

“So Risi found the embezzlement and came to check on the cattle business?”

“No. According to her search history, she didn’t access any of these files.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. She came to meet the mechanic. But why?”

“I’m as antsy as you to find out.” Barry changed the subject back to what she could focus on. “What about audits of the accounts?”

“I’m going to check that now.”

“Hurry. Snow’s getting thicker. The TV is getting fuzzy. We’ll lose the signal soon.”

With another heavy sigh, she got back to it and followed the audit records, or lack thereof to the personnel files. Why hadn’t the audits been done? Because the auditor died before he could do the job, according to his file. She looked up his replacement.

“Huh?”

“What?”

“Do you find it odd that just after my uncle started stealing from the company two auditors die?”

“Definitely a strange coincidence. How’d they die?”

She typed the man’s name into her search engine and checked the various links that came up with that name. One stood out. She opened the news article and read.

Barry must have felt her surprise and dread. He rose and came to stand beside her. “What is it?”

“Mr. Trahan worked for my father. He died in a car accident. Run off the road at night. No witnesses. Do you think………. NO!” The TV went blank and she lost her Internet connection. Her gaze shot to the windows and the near impenetrable wall of snow falling from the dark sky.

“Dammit.”

Barry settled his hands on her tense shoulders. “Time’s up. Satellite is out.”

She slammed the laptop cover and let out a disgruntled huff, falling back against the chair and crossing her arms under her breasts.

“I think you’re right.”

“About what?” She snapped the words out and a huff.

“If your uncle could shoot your sister and calmly discuss how to cover it up and murder you, I think he’s killed before.”

“He killed that auditor.” Iris’s mind filled with scenarios and possibilities. She spoke the one question that had circled her mind since her sister’s death. “How many other people has he murdered?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Take care. Be well and safe.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sexual tension engulfing Barry and Iris continues to burn between them.

The oil lamp’s bright flame lit Iris‘s face across from him. Barry studied the light and shadows as they shifted and changed her beautiful face, trying to figure out what it was about her that held his attention and made him yearn with a need he had never felt for anyone. They had spent the last three days cooped up in the house, snow falling so hard outside it had become treacherous to even make it out to the barn to feed the horses.

Distracting Iris from her dark thoughts had become his pleasure and torture. He wanted to get closer to her, but held himself back, knowing this thing crackling between them, hot as the flames in the fireplace, would never go any further than the short time she would be here. Once she uncovered all her uncle’s secrets, she’d walk out of his life.

Barry tried every second to block out the fantasy Iris would ever want a country kind of life. No way he would turn this place into a cage that held her from the city life she already lived in New York. He had been down that road and had the road rash on his heart to prove that asking someone to go against who they are and what they wanted only ended in a tangle of wreckage.

“I raise you fifty cents.”

Iris tossed two quarters on the coffee table between them. The fireplace at her back, legs folded in front of her under the table. When he shifted forward from bracing his back against the couch, their knees touched. Her eyes dilated with awareness and arousal. The same way they did whenever he accidentally touched her. He tried not to, but the pull between them was like a black hole, sucking them together.

Sometimes he had to touch her to draw her out of the quiet solitude that pulled her away from him and reality. With each passing hour, trapped in the house with nothing to do but think about her dead sister and how she had gotten no further in taking down her uncle, her mood turned as gray as the gloomy sky. He didn’t like those long periods she sat alone, her thoughts turned inward and her lovely eyes filled with so much hurt, loss, and sadness, his heart ached along with hers. Like they shared the same pulse.

Barry checked his cards, figured she probably had better than his pair of sixes, but tossed in two quarters anyway. The girl knew how to play poker better than anyone he had ever met. “Call.”

She set her cards on the table with a smirk. “Three queens. Beat that.”

“As usual, you’ve got me.” He tossed his cards facedown.

“I can’t possibly be whipping you this badly. You’re losing on purpose just to make me feel better.”

Iris turned the cards over. Her gaze swept up his chest and face to meet his. The heat spread through him, beckoned him to draw her close, kiss her, and feel the fire spread and make them both burn. He didn’t move, but savored that tense moment they shared staring at each other, both knowing what the other wanted, but not willing to make that leap. Not yet. But how long could he hold out? If he gave in, would he ever be able to let her go? No. So he held himself back.

“Wow.” She shook her head before letting out a chuckle. “You really are a horrible cardplayer.”

That made him laugh. “Normally, I’m the one sweeping the pot my way. I should take you to Vegas, give you some money, and let you win me some big bucks to cover my recent losses.”

“Anytime you want to go, I’m in.”

“If it meant you’d be safe, I’d take you right now.”

Her gaze went to the windows and the snow falling in a cascade of white flakes. “I feel as though I’ve been cocooned in here these last days. Safe. Protected. I think about what will happen when the storm passes, I find the evidence, and I emerge. What happened changed me. I’m no longer Iris, Risi‘s twin. I’m just me, and I don’t know who that person is without her.”

Barry reached across the table and took her hand. His thumb swept over the back of hers in a hypnotic sweep of his skin against hers. The warmth of it seeped into her skin and spread up her arm and through her whole body and deep into her heart.

Sometimes a simple touch holds more meaning than any words offered to fill the space that remains empty no matter what is said. Sometimes having someone beside you in the quiet solitude is enough.

Sometimes all you need is a friend who knows you, sees you, cares enough to be with you when there is really nothing left to say.

Barry had become that person for her over the last few days. Such a short time for them to settle into such an easy relationship. One that felt old, comfortable, like they’d read each other’s souls and said, I remember you.

Barry rose, keeping her hand in his, and pulled her up. He leaned down and blew out the lamp’s flame. The fire had dwindled to red and black coals. Just enough to cast a soft glow over the hearth. With no other light, she depended on Barry to lead her through the house he knew even in the dark. He stopped beside her outside her bedroom door. Like the last three nights, the connection they shared sparked like lightning up a Jacob‘s ladder.

They stood inches apart, her hand held in his. Neither of them breathed. They stared at each other in the dark, wanting, needing the other, but neither of them moved.

Barry leaned in, his mouth a breath from hers, but he stopped, his eyes searching hers in the dimness that could hold their secrets if only they would give them up, give in to this desire pulsing between them.

Barry pushed the door open behind her, released her hand, and stepped back still staring at her for a heartbeat. Two. Three. Then he turned and walked down the hall to his room and closed the door between them.

She crawled into her cold, empty bag. She wanted to go to him. Be with him, but that wasn’t fair. To either of them. He didn’t want to take advantage of her grief. She wasn’t sure what she felt went beyond needing his comfort and strength to see her through these dark days.

The thought of never being held by him in the night, never knowing what it felt like to make love with him made her heart ache. When this was over, could she leave, go back to her life and run the company, never knowing?

No.

Because it was more than attraction. Barry was a man worth knowing. He was a man worth taking a chance on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and being supportive with your wonderful comments, which I read again and again.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Determined to keep Iris safe, Barry goes to investigate the lead Iris discovered. There, he finds unsettling answers and unexpected danger.

Philip answered his mobile phone on the first ring. “Tell me the reward worked and you found her,” he barked to the detective.

“We’ve received numerous calls, but nothing checks out. The surveillance videos are taking too long to go through, so I came down to the company to check out Risi’s computer. I found an odd calendar entry for Montana.”

The library walls closed in on him. “What?”

If Risi and Iris went to the ranch, they must have discovered the missing paintings and cattle business. Impossible that they found anything more——-unless they discovered the sale of the property. He had under sold it by a substantial sum. He needed the cash. Bribes to grease wheels were expensive, and he lived a rather extravagant lifestyle. His mistress cost a fortune, but she was well worth it. He had finally found someone who understood what he needed and liked. The money he gave her and the apartment he maintained to keep her set him back plenty, but he didn’t care. He deserved her.

“Why would she have a meeting scheduled with a mechanic in Montana? There’s no name, just an address.”

Phillip’s stomach tightened with dread. He slammed his fist down on the desk and swore. So Risi had found it all out.

“Hire men to check that address and the ranch property for Iris. Send them immediately. Find that fucking mechanic. Find Iris. Kill them both.”

“Consider it done.”

*************************************************************************************

Barry parked in the dilapidated mobile home’s driveway. As promised, he would check out the “mechanic’s” place and find out who really lived here before he went to the property owner, Mr. Wright, asking questions. He didn’t want to bring Risi‘s name into it and cause any suspicions that would leave the cops straight to Iris.

A car engine drew his attention down the short driveway. The mail truck lumbered along the road and stopped at the line of mailboxes. Barry rushed down the drive to intercept the mailman.

“Howdy,” the mailman called, stepping from the truck, his hands loaded with mail.

“Hey there. Do you know who lives here?”

The mailman‘s eyes went soft and his gaze drifted to the beige mobile home. “This is old Jared Finney‘s place. Too bad what he done to himself.”

“What happened?” Barry asked, trying not to sound overeager for the answer.

“Shot himself dead. I tell you, I never seen nothing like it.”

“You found him?”

The mailman frowned and stared off in the distance. “Mail was piling up in the box, so I went up to check on him. He’d been dead a couple days by then. Smelled something terrible. I called the cops out. They took care of him from there. Must’ve been all those medical bills piling up. I don’t know what he had, but the bills just kept on coming. Must’ve been too terrible of a burden for him, especially after his wife was found shot dead in some seedy motel room outside of Bozeman.”

“When did that happen?”

“Oh, years ago. Probably ten or more now.”

“What did Mr. Finney do for work?”

“As far as I know, he didn’t work much at all anymore, but once he was a mechanic. He said something about working at the airport when his wife was killed.”

Barry sucked in a breath. Not an auto mechanic. An airplane mechanic.

He needed to get back to Iris, so they could zero in on Jared Finney. Barry didn’t believe in coincidences. Ten years ago, Joe West’s plane crashed.

Barry’s mind spun with questions and speculations.

“Thank you for the information.” Barry left the mailman to finish putting the mail in the line of mailboxes and hightailed it back to his truck. Scrapes on the front door by the knob caught his attention. Maybe they were from the police getting into the place after Mr. Finney took his life. Maybe not.

Barry climbed the wood steps. They creaked and bowed under his weight. He went to the dirty window, cupped his hands on the grimy glass, and looked in. Mail and papers littered the dining table and floor. The kitchen cupboards stood open, the contents pulled out and tossed on the counter and floor along with the papers. Drawers hung from their openings or sat stacked and battered on the floor. The living room had suffered the same ransacking as the kitchen. He bet the back bedrooms hadn’t fared much better. Not messy housekeeping. Not the cops. Phillip’s men had been here. They were closing in. He needed to get back home to Iris.

He ran for the truck and jumped into the cab. He turned the key, revved the engine, and threw the truck into drive. He rolled down the driveway, turned onto the road, and pointed the truck toward home. Toward his Iris.

A black Escalade pulled out of a side road and onto the road behind him. His gut tightened with dread. Too far back to see his plate, but way too close for comfort.

Barry hit the gas, lengthening the distance between him and what had to be Phillip’s men. He took a long, roundabout way to the back road that led across the south side of his ranch and allowed him a clear view of the road behind him and West Road ahead. All clear.

No way he would lead them to her.

Iris sat at the dining room table, staring out the window. Today, though the sky might’ve cleared, her mood remained as turbulent as the storm that passed.

Barry came up behind her, smelling of hay, horses and the cold, crisp wind outside. He’d been a beacon in her dark world, drawing her close, teasing, and coaxing her out of her moods. Still, living with the sexy rancher made her palms itch to touch him. Just looking at all those rippling muscles made her want to crawl up him and kiss him. That thick mass of hair made her want to slide her fingers through it and grab hold and never let go until their bodies came together and burned up all this pent-up desire building inside her the longer she spent in his company.

Did the man have to look that good in a pair of jeans and boots?

She thought about the almost kiss when he left her at her bedroom door last night. The way he looked at her and made her feel. She wanted to kiss him right now, just feel his lips pressed against hers again.

She gave in to need and her heart’s demand and stood and wrapped her arms tightly around him. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” The word didn’t match the way he squeezed her to him and the sigh of relief he let out.

“You’re not telling me something. What happened?”

He hesitated and held her tighter. “I almost got caught by your uncle’s men.”

She gasped out her surprise. “What? No.” She stepped out of his arms, wishing she’d stayed enclosed in all that strength and protection. “Did they see you?” Worry knotted her gut.

“I took the long way home, up the back pass. No one followed me.”

“You’re sure.”

“Yes. I’d never let anything happen to you.”

“What did you find?” She asked, still a bit pissed Barry had refused to let her accompany him to follow up on the only clue her sister left in Montana.

“A man named Jarrod Finney lived at the address you gave me. He wasn’t an auto mechanic, but an airplane mechanic. He worked at the Bozeman airport. The mailman didn’t have a lot of information on the man, but he did say that Mr. Finney’s wife was found dead in a motel room about ten years ago.”

Iris’s heart lurched as pain gave way to fury. The coldhearted bastard ripped away all her happiness and everyone she loved. She wanted to put him down like a rabid dog.

“My father‘s crash was no accident.” In the last few days, with everything she had learned, this had niggled the back of her mind, and yet she had pushed the thought away. Her uncle had killed his own flesh and blood, and yet the murder of his brother seemed impossible.

“Did you talk to him?”

“I’m sorry, Iris, but he committed suicide. If my guess is right, the same day your sister showed the meeting with him on her calendar.”

“If he confessed to a plot to kill my father, we’ll never know now. He and Risi are both dead and the information is gone with them. Another dead end.” Literally. “More mysterious deaths that tie to my uncle but I can’t prove he orchestrated or committed them himself.” Her heart sank. She planted her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands, trying to sort out all she knew, but couldn’t prove. She wanted to fight and scream and make someone understand what she couldn’t put into words.

“What other mysterious deaths? What more have you found?”

“You know about Mr. Trahan, the auditor who got run off the road and died. The audit was never completed the year my father died, or the next. Then the executives must have noticed. Our CFO ordered the audit. Again, the man in charge………A Mr. Reiser”………. she held up one of the articles she’d printed out——- “met with an untimely death.”

“What happened to him?”

“Shot during a mugging.”

“What the fuck?”

“There’s more. The police arrested the CFO who ordered those audits. Turns out he and another woman ran a high priced call girl service. Someone tipped the cops off that he was involved.”

“I bet I can guess who,” Barry said.

“It makes sense. I was in high school when this happened, and my uncle hired a new CFO———a longtime friend of his from college. The person who completes the independent audit each year since my uncle’s handpicked CFO came on board is listed in the payroll system as a contractor. He’s paid monthly for his services. The thing is, he only works for about two months for the company.”

“The rest of the time he’s being paid off.” Barry ran a hand through his hair.

“What if these men didn’t have accidents at all? What if my uncle killed them?”

“Jeez, Iris, that’s two men at the company, possibly the mechanic’s wife, Risi, and your father, all tied to your uncle.”

“I know. I don’t have any proof, just the embezzlement and my suspicions.”

“What about your mother’s death?” He asked, his words soft.

“She loved my father in a way I can’t explain. They were like two puzzle pieces. When they found each other, they locked and did everything together. The one thing they loved more than anything was riding. My father kept several horses at the New York estate. They went there all the time to be together, ride, have picnics. It was their place. She hung herself in the stables. She couldn’t live without him. She didn’t live for us.”

“Iris, I’m so sorry.”

She didn’t want his sympathy and pushed forward. “I found a few other threads leading me in other directions, but they require phone calls and possibly visits in order to actually unravel this ball of lies and deceit.”

“Risi told your uncle she had proof he did something. So the mechanic must have given it to her. We still need to find it. The embezzlement will put him in jail, proof he committed murder will keep him there. I have something else to show you.” He grabbed the large envelope he must have set on the table when he walked in and pulled out some papers.

“Before I checked out Finney’s place, I stopped by the courthouse and asked the clerk to pull all the records in your father‘s name and regarding West Ranch.” He set the papers in front of her. “Turns out, the property is much bigger. In actuality, it’s just over twenty three thousand acres. Your father bought the original property and built the house.” He pulled the second deed out of the pile and set it on top. “Two years later, he made an additional land purchase when prices had dropped drastically. Over time, the land has become worth a hell of a lot more.”

“How much more?”

“With the additional wells, grassland, and rangeland, about sixteen point nine million. Your dad with something else.”

“Yes, he was. He bought low and sold high. My uncle sells things that don’t belong to him way below market value and thinks he’s doing good business because he’s got cash in his pocket.”

“I thought you should know. The language in the purchase paper states all of West Ranch, which technically includes this additional land. If the deal went through, your uncle would have cost you more than fifteen million dollars.”

“With this and the paintings and cattle we’re no longer talking a drop in the bucket of the West assets, but a downpour.”

“You’ve uncovered a lot of things you can use against your uncle. Because of that I contacted someone I know at the FBI.”

“What?”

“Hear me out. My brother’s wife has a sister in the FBI. Kara’s in National City. She’s agreed to help you whenever you’re ready to go up against your uncle. She’ll remain on standby, until we need her. In the meantime, she’s quietly putting together a case against Detective Singh, the lawyers who set up the ranch deal, and your uncle. It’s just preliminary stuff, but put together with what you’ve found, you’ve got a case to arrest your uncle.”

“I don’t have all the proof to back this up.”

“We will find it.”

“What if I don’t?”

“You will.”

“Do you trust Kara?”

“Absolutely.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’d have to be to trust her with your life.” He held out his hand to her. “Come on. You need a break. Get dressed. You’re coming with me.”

“Barry, I can’t go anywhere. Someone might see me.”

“We’re not going to town, just out for a walk. It’s sunny. We’ll keep it short, so you don’t hurt that ankle. You need to get out of this house.”

“I need to keep working.”

“It will be here when you get back.”

“Barry.”

“Iris, I want to spend time with you outside these walls. Come to the stables. See the horses. You’ll feel better.”

The thought of seeing the horses appealed to her on a deep level. She hadn’t been outside in days. And as much as she’d uncovered about her uncle, she had a lot more work ahead of her. She needed a clear head, some time to let what she’d learned settle.

“That look on your pretty face tells me you want to go. So, come on, city girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The mystery deepens, albeit many of you already figured out much of the mystery already. And for those of you that have asked, next chapter we’ll see Barry and Iris explore a new level of closeness between them. 
> 
> Thank you all for your continued support. I hope you all are well, safe and healthy.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris take their relationship to the next level. They succumb to a passion that can no longer be denied. However doubts, fears and feelings unspoken leave both at an uncertainty of what the future will hold.

Barry waited in the kitchen for Iris to get ready to go out. She didn’t look good. Dark circles marred the undersides of her eyes. She had barely slept the last few days and when she did, she had nightmares that made her scream out in the night. He wanted to go to her, wrap her in his arms, and make it all go away. As if he could make her forget, but he’d work damn hard to distract her. Oh, the many ways he’d distract her. He’d start with another kiss, his lips pressed to hers, his tongue sliding in to taste and tease. They would end up naked and happily exhausted, because if he had to walk around much longer in this hyper aroused state he’d explode.

The kiss they shared played in a loop in his mind. He could still taste her. He thanked God and the universe this morning for clear skies. If he had to spend one more day in this house alone with her and nowhere to go, he’d grab her and take her to bed because the wanting was killing him.

She needed time and he needed to decide if he could let her go if he did sleep with her, because there was no way in hell she would stay with him when she had so much waiting for her in New York. Her friends. A company to run. A life he couldn’t give her here. He came up with one reason after another for why he shouldn’t sleep with her. She was too young. Too rich. Too beautiful. Nothing like any of the other women he dated.

That one actually appealed to him more than anything else. He liked her. Admired her courage and determination. The woman refused to quit.

She amazed him with her insights, computer skills, knowledge about finance and how her business ran. Her uncle underestimated her. If he had let the twins take over the company as planned, he would have reaped the benefits of their combined talents. Now it was left to Iris to right the wrongs her uncle instigated and take the company into the future on her own. A monumental task, but he didn’t doubt for a second she was up for the challenge. He only hoped she remembered to take care of herself. Right now, grief held her captive. Until she had time to process the loss of her sister and the loss of the dream they’d shared for their future, she would stay in this depressed state that took over her and stole all the light he saw inside her when she forgot everything else and was just with him. Those moments were rare, but something to hold on to. He’d tuck them away, pull them out someday soon when he missed her, and remember he once lived with a remarkable woman.

“Barry. I’m ready.”

He wasn’t. Not for the punch to the gut that hit him when he turned around and saw her wearing one of the sweaters he bought her. He’d never bought a woman clothes. It made him feel strange to see her in something he picked out especially for her. He’d never tell her he stood in front of the displays agonizing over which ones to get her because he wanted her to like them, despite his limited choices and lack of experience. She looked good. She had worn the dark pink the other day. It made the gold highlights in her dark brown hair stand out. Today she wore the dark purple. He loved the way it made the brown in her eyes glow.

Nervous because he hadn’t said anything, just stared, she ran her hand over her stomach and asked, “Does it look okay?”

“You’re so beautiful. The fit’s perfect.”

Yep, the sweater hugged her curves and made his mouth water. He wanted to get his hands on her, slide them up and under the sweater, and feel her smooth, warm skin against his palms. He wanted to mold her full breasts in his hands and feel the weight of them when he kissed her long and deep. He wanted her with a passion he had never felt.

“I really love it.” Her words came out soft and shy. Her head dipped to the side, her gaze on a spot by his feet. Probably because he couldn’t hide how much he wanted to kiss her again. “It’s very soft.”

Like everything about her. Her hair. Her skin. Her intoxicating scent. Her eyes when she stared at him without thinking about it. Her lips when he kissed her.

“We should go.” Maybe he said that too abruptly.

“Barry, are you mad at me?” She shifted her weight.

“Nope. Just need to get out of this house.” He needed to put some distance between them, but couldn’t manage to put actions to thought because it went against everything else he felt inside. Ignoring the warnings in his head, he took her hand and led her to the front door. He helped her with her coat and checked out her feet. “The boots fit okay?” She’d only worn the brace and her socks in the house. He found it cute. He never thought anything cute, except maybe puppies, kittens, and foals.

I’m losing it he thought to himself.

“They feel great. Heavy. I’m sure they’ll keep my feet dry and warm.”

“Let me know if they don’t and we need to come back. Can you walk on that ankle, or does it still hurt?”

“It’s much better. A few days off it did wonders.”

“That and the ice I kept making you put on it.”

“No more ice. I’m tired of being cold all the time.”

Happy to warm you up. He left that thought unsaid. “You’re walking better, that’s what matters.” He took her hand again and opened the door and ushered her out with him. He slowed his pace to match hers. She favored her right foot, but it barely slowed her down. “How’s your hip?”

“Sore, but better. The bruises are fading.”

The image and the memory of all that beautiful brown skin stretched out below him from his dream last night filled his mind. The thought of making love to her, kissing every inch of skin from her rosy lips to her cute little toes, nearly made him groan.

“Good. I’m glad you feel better.”

“Hard not to when you take such good care of me, cooking every meal, cleaning up, and making me take a break a split second before I throw my computer out the window.”

“I’m worried about your blood pressure,” he teased.

“Yeah, well, you should be more worried I’ll take one of the guns from your house and shoot my uncle.”

“I’ll load it for you.”

They might both be joking, but her uncle deserved it and more.

Barry opened the stable door and let Iris go in ahead of him. He stopped short before he slammed into her back. “What’s the matter?” He asked, wondering why she didn’t go in.

“Oh, Barry, look at them.”

Barry followed her gaze and smiled. At least twelve of his horses stuck their heads out of the stalls and some whinnied to greet him. He stared down at her and caught his breath. Her whole face lit up with joy, seeing all the horses. He put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “That’s the first real smile I’ve seen from you.” Her happiness made him feel lighter, so he kissed her on the side of her head and nudged her forward. “Go see them. They’re bored in here. I’ve got to let them out into the pastures later, but I thought you’d like to see them first.”

Iris didn’t need coaxing. She took off down the aisle and greeted the first horse she came to with an affectionate pat on the head and a vigorous scratch behind the ear. He’d prepared for her to come, so he grabbed the bag of sliced apples from the table next to the sink and met her five doors down the aisle.

“She’s beautiful.” Iris referred to the palomino mare.

“Her name is Winnie. I got her two years ago as a foal. She’s my girl.” Winnie stretched and nuzzled his neck, then tried to steal the whole bag of apples. “She loves her treats.” He handed a couple of slices to Iris to feed Winnie.

“I miss my horses.”

“How many do you have?”

“Too beautiful Arabians. A black and a white. Bentley and Mercedes.”

“Even your horses have expensive names.”

“That was a joke.” She laughed and smacked him on the arm. “You are so easy. Try Belle and Jasmine.”

He had to admit, she got him. She held Winnie’s head in both her hands and laid her forehead to the horse’s.

“They are my babies. I miss them. I don’t spend nearly enough time with them at the estate outside the city these days.”

“You should make time. They obviously make you happy.”

“When things got tough, or I needed time away from the city to think, I’d go to the estate and ride for hours. I always felt closer to my parents there. I’d spend time brushing down the horses and pampering them. They help me relax and think clearly again.”

Barry handed her a brush from the table, unlatched the door to Winnie’s stall, and held his hand out to indicate she indulge her need to be with the horse.

“Winnie loves to be spoiled. You hang out with her. I’ll let the others out into the pasture. Careful on your ankle.”

She readily went into the stall and started working the brush over Winnie‘s golden coat. He walked to the stall next door, but stopped from going inside to get Hank when Iris walked out of Winnie’s stall and stopped him.

“Barry.”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Yeah, he understood how much she needed a distraction, one she loved and helped her settle her mind.

He went to her, cupped her face, and tilted it up. His lips touched her forehead in a soft kiss. He’d like to kiss her in a different way, but she needed the comfort and he needed to give it to her. Anything to make her feel better, because seeing the sadness come back into her eyes tore at him in a way that connected him to her even more.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He stared down into her beautiful face and bright brown eyes. “It’ll take me about half an hour to get these guys out to the pastures. Winnie is all yours.”

She reached up, wrapped her hands around his neck, and pressed her body down the length of his. He reined in the urge to crush her to him and take her mouth in a deep kiss. The hug ended far sooner than he’d like. No amount of time with her would ever be long enough.

That thought hung with him for the next half hour as he let the horses out into the fields. He left three of the horses that weren’t feeling well in the stables, along with Winnie. He’d kept his eye on Iris. She’d kept her eye on him, glancing his way whenever he came back. He caught the glimpses of interest in her when her eyes roamed over him, heating his body.

The play of emotions on her face shifted and changed the longer she spent with the horse. Sadness overshadowed her earlier joy at seeing the horses. At one point, she broke down and cried again. He kept to his chores and let her work out her thoughts and memories and grief in her own way and time.

The tears had dried and she set the brush on the table and went back to Winnie and gave the big horse a hug. He smiled, knowing exactly how she felt. Sometimes you just needed someone to hang out with, who didn’t say anything while you worked out your shit.

Iris stood back, gave Winnie a scratch behind the ear and down her neck, and let out a heavy sigh. His cue to step in and change her focus again, or she’d just go back to poring over files and not take the time she needed for herself. Sometimes stepping away from things helped to put them in perspective.

Barry came up behind Iris and clamped his hands on her shoulders, working his fingers into her tired and sore muscles.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

She surprised him and turned, going up on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. A touch of her lips to his. Far too short and lacking the passion they both felt in the jolt to both their bodies. The intensity in her eyes matched the need gnawing at his gut to pull her close and devour, but he left his hands where they were on her hips, loosely holding her close, but still too far away. He’d paid attention to this woman over the last few days, and the tilt of her head and the set of her mouth told him she had something to say, something important weighing on her mind.

“I mean it. Thank you for making me come out here. I needed this.”

“I know you want to find the truth, but you’ve got to take care of yourself. You’ll figure this out.”

“It’s taking too long. I feel like I’m missing something important. Like she told me something and I didn’t hear it.”

“Let’s take a walk. Clear your head. Take a look at everything again with fresh eyes.” He set her away and took a step back. He needed the space, or he’d do something stupid. Like pick her up and carry her over to the pile of hay bales and set her pretty bottom on them and strip her bare and make love to her right here in the stables. That would knock some of the city girl right off her. Of course, she seemed just as comfortable here as she did there.

“What’s that look?” Iris tilted her head and studied his face.

“What look?”

“That one. Where you shake your head and look at me like I’m a strange bug.”

“You are strange.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You are everything you are, but then you’re not.”

“Well, that explains it.”

She didn’t get it. He didn’t really get it, but it appealed to him in a weird way that made him think about her more and more. Everything about her didn’t add up to what people knew about her, but in a strange way, it did.

“You’re a city girl.”

“I live in New York City, but I’ve been to many places over the years, including Montana,” she pointed out.

“Yes. That’s it.”

“What’s it?”

“You fit in just about anywhere.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“You fit here. You are just as comfortable living in the city, going to clubs, and shopping in Manhattan as you are brushing down the horses and staying with me in my little house. You are everything the public sees about you, but then you’re so much more they don’t even begin to guess.”

“You aren’t only a cowboy. Sure you’ve got the horses and the cattle. The spread you’ve set up here, but you’re much more than that. You’re a college graduate with spreadsheets that put some of my project managers to shame. Statistics, financials, genealogies for the animals, projections, and forecasts. While that is what you do, you are grounded in family and tradition. You didn’t want my ranch to show off that you live in that big house. You wanted it for the land, the stable space you so obviously need for all the horses you adore like a father does his children. You wanted it to build something lasting. Something you can pass on the way your father will pass on his ranch to you boys. Your brothers are everything to you. You’d would drop everything this second and go to them if they needed you.”

“So. They are my brothers. That’s what you do for family.”

“No. That is what you do for family. Some of us aren’t so lucky to have that kind of bond. Some of us had it and lost it. You hold on to it, to them, because they are important to you. I look at the pictures in your house, hear the way you talk about your parents and your brothers, and I envy you. I think about what happens after I take down my uncle. What then? Everything I planned with Risi is gone. What am I doing all this work for? Yes, to see my uncle pay for killing my sister, but once that’s done, it’s just me.”

“You will run the company. You’ll go back to your friends in New York. You’ll have your life, and you’ll live it for you and Risi.”

“What if that isn’t the life I want? Not without her. I thought the next chapter of my life would be running the company with Risi. Now it seems like a lifetime of work and no fun. What would I be working for? The satisfaction of taking what my father started and making it more successful. Why? So I can have more money? For what? To buy more stuff I don’t need or want.”

“Iris, you’re not thinking straight. Once you finish this with your uncle, you will settle into your life again the way it is now.”

“Right. The way it is now.”

Her gaze went unfocused. She stared at nothing past his shoulder and he felt the weight of her loneliness. He didn’t know what to say, because she was right. She would go back to New York, take over the company, and do it alone. Of course, she would rise up out of her grief, her friends would circle around her, and eventually she would start living her life and find someone to share it with her. The overwhelming urge to punch something, or whoever had the audacity to be with her when he wanted her this bad, stunned him. He had never been a possessive man with any woman who came into his life. Probably why he let them go so easily. Letting go of Iris wouldn’t be easy. In fact, the longer he spent with her, the harder it got to think about his life, the next steps he needed to take without her.

This time, he did reach for her and wrap his arms around her and pull her close. He held her tight, so she felt how much he needed her close. He pressed his cheek to her head and gave her as much truth as he could speak aloud. “You are not alone. I will be with you every step of the way until your uncle is behind bars. I’m here as long as you want me.”

Her head came up and her expressive brown eyes filled with a longing that matched his own. Her gaze dipped to his mouth and back up. He read the need in her eyes, but still tried to fight it. For her. For him. “Tell me to go and leave you alone.”

“I don’t want to be alone. I want to be with you.”

He wanted to ask her for how long, but stopped himself, because soon she would leave and go back to that life she thought she had outgrown, but would want back because it was familiar. She would need it back to regain some of the normal from her past in her new life without her sister.

Way past saying anything, he let loose the reins on his need and pulled her close. He dipped his head, his gaze on her rosy lips. They parted on a sigh, and he pressed his mouth to hers for a deep kiss. He held nothing back this time and plunged in, giving everything and taking all she offered. His lips fit to hers, and she opened to him without reservation. He swept his tongue along hers, melding his mouth to hers. His fingers gripped her hips, let loose, and swept up inside her sweater and up her smooth spine. When his fingertips touched her skin, she sighed and pressed closer. He spread his fingers wide and smoothed them down her back and over her luscious bottom, gripping tight, he pulled her up to her toes and pressed her hips to his, letting her know in blatant reality how much he wanted her. She rocked her hips against his hard dick, and he groaned, breaking the kiss to move down her throat and kiss that sweet spot between her neck and shoulder. “God, you always smells so damn good.”

Her head fell back, and he kissed his way back up her throat to her lips again for another searing kiss.

“Don’t stop,” she said against his mouth.“Don’t ever stop.”

“I’m just getting started.” To prove it, he sank his tongue deep in her mouth and tangled with hers in a sensual kiss that rocked him hard.

Iris gave herself over to Barry. Everything in her mind disappeared except for one thought. She wanted him. When she was with him, she believed everything was going to be okay. When he kissed her, she felt a connection as deep as the one she had shared with her sister. Different, but just as strong.

Her back hit the stable gate. He lifted her leg and held it against his hip, sliding his hand up the length of the outside of her thigh to her hip, dipping low over her firm ass. He pressed his hard shaft to her lower belly. She angled her hips and rubbed against him. His mouth blazed a trail up her throat to her mouth. She opened for him, meeting every thrust of his tongue with her own. She gripped his jacket in her hands, held on while they went at each other in a frenzy. Too much separated her from him, so she slid her hands between their bodies and unzipped his jacket. He barely gave her enough room to do that before her hands went around his back and up under his thermal shirt and slid over the strong muscles in his back, up his spine, and back down again. His warm skin slid against her palms. She brought them around his sides, spread her fingers wide, and mapped his stomach up to his chest. Nothing but a wide expanse of tight muscles and warmth she wanted to sink into and hold on to forever.

Barry must have felt the same way as she did about getting her hands on him. He grabbed hold of the bottom of her sweater and stopped kissing her long enough to yank it up and over her head. His eyes locked on her breasts and the heat in his eyes flared. She shook out her hair, fisted his shirt in her hand, and pulled him back close to keep her warm. His big hands spread over her back and down to her hips, pulling her close. She gasped when he touched the still healing bruises and aching hip bone. Barry mumbled, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” against her lips and softly rubbed circles over her battered muscles and bones. The caress sent a shaft of heat to her core.

Iris faltered on her tiptoes due to her sore ankle in the lighter hold Barry kept on her. Frustrated his massive height kept her at a disadvantage to explore all she wanted, she gripped his shoulders and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Surprised, he immediately clamped his hands on her ass to hold her in place. She cupped his face and kissed him, sliding her tongue over his in a deep kiss she desperately needed. He backed her into the gate again. His hands came up to grip her rib cage and push her higher. His mouth trailed kisses down her throat to the edge of the lace bra. He swept his tongue over the swell of her breast, then clamped his mouth over her hard nipple despite the barrier. She sighed and arched her back, offering up her breasts for him to feast.

Winnie stuck her head over the stall door and nibbled at the side of her head and hair, making her laugh.

Barry’s head came up and his gaze locked on her face. “Aw, God, Iris. This is not good.”

“It will be in a few minutes.”

Barry leaned forward and rested his forehead on her chin. Winnie nudged her big head against hers, trying to get to Barry. “I’m not making love to you in here.”

“With a few less clothes, I’m pretty sure we can manage it.”

“Dammit, this is the stables and you’re freezing. You’ve got goosebumps all over you.”

“I’m hot for you.”

Barry’s head came up again, and he smiled and let out a soft laugh. ““I want you in my bed where I can treat you right.”

She grabbed the back of his jacket in both hands and pulled herself off the gate, away from Winnie, and Barry followed her movement and moved back, taking her with him. He stood in the middle of the stables with her in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist, and his hands gripping her thighs to hold her steady. He gave her the smile she liked so much and had grown accustomed to over the last few days whenever he tried to tease her out of her bad mood.

“What are we doing? God, I want you so much.” His admission came out on a gruff exhale as his internal turmoil began to rear its concerned head.

“Take me to bed, cowboy. Giddy up.” He laughed at the command and was so blissful with her in his arms. She nudged him with her legs and he headed for the door without another word. The minute they left the stables, the sun hit her, but didn’t do anything to ward off the freezing cold. Barry wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm, but she distracted herself by sliding her hands inside his jacket and over his strong, wide shoulders. She kissed him once, twice, and again.

“Can’t see,” he muttered against her lips.

She left his amazing mouth and kissed her way along his jaw to his ear, tracing the edge of it with her tongue. Barry groaned and his fingers contracted on her ass, bringing her closer. He used his strength to lift her a few inches, then let her slide down his hard shaft, creating a delicious friction against her core. She smiled against his neck a split second before she bit down on his skin, then soothed the small hurt with a lick of her tongue.

His stride lengthened out and sped up. “The house is too damn far.”

She smiled and licked him again, kissing her way down his throat, peeling away his shirt with her hand to kiss the muscles running along his shoulder. She slid her hand up his shoulder and into his thick, brown hair. The silky strands spread between her fingers, and she gripped them tight, kissing his neck and hoping he got them to the house faster.

“Hurry. I need you,” she whispered in his ear, and sucked his earlobe.

He took the steps up to the porch without slowing down. They went through the front door, and he kicked it shut with his foot without stopping and headed down the short hall.

“My room’s closer.”

“Condoms.” He passed her door and rushed through his. He walked straight to the bed, leaned down, and pressed her into the mattress, planting his mouth over hers and sinking into her once again. She pulled him even closer with her legs, and he grinded his hips to hers.

“Too many clothes,” she mumbled as his lips left hers.

His hand slipped around her back to unfasten her bra. He pulled it off her arms in one long fluid motion, his mouth clamping onto her breast. He sucked hard, and she arched off the bed for more, her hands going into his hair to hold him to her. He swept his hot tongue over her hard nipple and along the underside of her breast.

“God, you taste so damn good. Even sweeter than you smell.”

Her laugh turned into a heavy sigh when he paid equal attention to her other breast. She let him have his way, but wrestled his jacket off his arms and pulled his shirt over his head. Her hands slid down his bare back and up again. Barry kissed his way down her belly, his hands sliding down her sides to her pants. He stood at the end of the bed and grabbed her knee, pulling her leg up so he could unlace her boot and pull it off. He did the same with the other, but never took his eyes off her. His heated gaze swept from her face to her breasts and back. Everything inside her went molten.

Shoes gone, he reached up to grab the sides of her pants and gently pulled them down her legs. Since she didn’t want to wear Risi’s underwear, she didn’t have any on. His eyes narrowed and a half smile tilted his mouth in the most adorable way. She raised an eyebrow, daring him to come to her. He worked off his boots and socks in seconds, but didn’t strip off his jeans. Instead, he came back to her and planted his knee between her thighs.

“Scoot back, sweetheart.”

She did as he asked and he pursued her up the bed, his hands planted on either side of her as he stared down at her from all fours. She expected him to lie on top of her, for the dance to start all over again, but he didn’t. He took his time, looking his fill at her laid out below him.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He leaned down to kiss the worst of the bruises on her hip and down her thigh. It didn’t hurt. Every soft kiss relaxed her, made her melt and fall under his spell. Soft afternoon light fell over them, highlighting the rich brown tones in his hair. She watched him loving her, sighed, and closed her eyes, letting herself just feel.

He kissed his way up her entire right side, making her forget about her aches and pains and feel nothing but ripples of pure pleasure. One big hand cupped her breast and molded it to his palm. His tongue swept across her right breast and his mouth settled over her tight nipple, and he sucked softly, keeping to this new lazy pace. Everything in the stables had been hot and fast. This was relaxed and sweet. A slow burn that settled her, centered her, and drew her deeper into Barry’s amazing spell.

Barry craved this woman. He wanted to take and devour, but something about the way she looked at him, sighed, and lay beneath him so trusting made him take his time. He didn’t need to rush. They had all the time in the world. Still, a part of him knew his time with her was ticking down, but still he touched and tasted and learned all the things that pleased her and made her sigh that way like he had forever.

Her hands slid over his back and shoulders, down his arms, and up his chest. She never stopped touching him, even when he lay down by her side and stripped off his jeans and boxer briefs. She turned into him, mapping his taut stomach with her fingers, kissing his neck and down his chest. Every flick of her tongue and press of her lips to his skin set off sparks of lightning through his veins. Her small hand smoothed over his belly and lower to his hard cock. She wrapped her fingers around him and stroked down and up again. Her fingers went wide, her palm rubbed over his hard flesh and she clamped her fingers over his balls. She worked her hand over him, making him groan.

Unable to take the sweet torture for long, he pulled her hand away and kissed her, long and deep. She held him close, and he pressed his aching cock into her thigh, sweeping his hand over her smooth skin, her belly, dipping his fingers between her thighs. She rocked her hips into his palm, and he slipped one finger into her slick core. Hot. Wet. Ready for him to love her. He slid his finger deep and pulled it free, rubbing against her soft folds and making her moan.

“Barry.”

His name on her lips in that breathy voice made him want to do anything she asked. He knew exactly what she wanted, because he wanted it too.

He grabbed the condom out of the bedside drawer, torn it open with his teeth, and sheathed himself. He shifted on top of her and she welcomed him into her arms, pulling him down for a searing kiss. His cock’s thick head pressed against her entrance and she shifted her hips to take him in. He sank into her in one long, slow, fluid motion, and with his whole body pressed to hers, something inside him shifted and aligned and felt so damn right he lost all thought, but to have her. Keep her forever.

“My Iris.”

He kissed her and made love to her like he’d never get the chance to do it again. He needed to prove a point. What he wanted to show her, he didn’t know for sure, but he had to get her to understand what he couldn’t seem to think or say with any amount of clarity. His body knew what it wanted to say. He took possession and loved and caressed every inch of her.

Her open response drove him on. He thrust deep, and she met him, holding him close, her hand sweeping over his heated skin to soothe and coax him on. He took his time loving her, soaking up the connection they shared and the feel of her against him. He needed only her. Lots more of her.

Her fingers dug into his hips and pulled him closer. He grinded his hips to hers, and she bit her bottom lip and moved against him. He loved watching her expressive face. He pulled out and sink back into her again, making that same move. Her body contracted around his, and he did it again, this time thrusting harder and faster. She planted her heels in the bed, and he rocked against her. She tightened around his hard shaft, and he let himself go. Her nails dug into his skin, and she pressed her head into the pillow and exploded beneath him, taking him over the edge.

He collapsed on top of her, lying in her arms, her fingers tracing circles on his back. He breathed heavily into her hair and neck and kissed her softly. Completely content to stay right here for the next fifty years of his life. She shifted under him, in pain from his weight pressing on her hip. He slid his hand down to her bottom, held her tight, and rolled to his back, taking her with him. He hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. She snuggled close into him, burying her nose in the crook of his neck inhaling his masculine scent. When she yawned, he remembered she’d barely slept last night at all.

He brushed his fingers up and down her arm, hoping she drifted off to sleep. She never slept long or well. He wanted her to relax and sleep all she needed. Besides, it kept him from having to say anything. He didn’t know what to say after everything they shared.

His fingers brush up her arm to the soft skin between her shoulder and neck. She cocked her head and giggled at the light tickle. He did it again. She laughed harder and pushed against his side to get away. He held her close.

“I love it when you laugh.”

She rested her chin on his chest, staring up at him, her eyes bright with mirth. A pretty smile on her face that weathered with the sheen of tears filling her eyes.

“What is it, sweetheart?“

“I feel so guilty for being this happy.”

“Oh, baby, you have nothing to feel guilty about. Your sister loved you. She wouldn’t want you to give yourself over to grief and never find any happiness for yourself.”

“I’m supposed to be finding the evidence, not falling into bed with you.”

He shifted away, feeling like all they had shared hadn’t meant half as much to her as it did to him if she thought it was just a distraction from her real purpose here. He sat on the edge of the bed, his hands braced at his sides. He gripped the mattress, knuckles turning white, as he stared down at his feet.

He tried to stand, but she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and locked her hands together at his chest, holding him down. Her chin settled on his shoulder, her breasts pressed to his back. Warm. Soft. Her intoxicating scent wrapped around him. Damn if he didn’t inhale her scent and feel that much more connected to her. But he knew she didn’t feel the same.

“Wait. Don’t go. I’m sorry that came out wrong. What I meant is, you make my heart feel so full, but at the same time, it’s still so empty. Everyone I’ve ever loved is gone. Taken away from me far too soon. I watched him kill my sister. He swore he’d see me dead too. What if he makes that happen and there’s nothing I can do to stop him? What if he finds me here? I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you because of me. I can’t imagine my………”

And there was the real truth. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I will not let anything happen to you. Don’t you get it? I can’t imagine a world……..my world, without you in it.”

“Then you know how I feel about you.”

Her forehead pressed to his, and he reached up and cupped her face in his palm, her tears wet against his fingers.

“I am so afraid that what I feel for you will only lead to something terrible.”

Meaning her uncle might hurt him to hurt her. “You know me. I hold on. I’m holding on to you.”

“For how long?”

He laid her back onto the bed, their foreheads still pressed together, his body covering hers. “I’ll hold on as long as you want me.”

“I do want you. All of you.”

The depth of emotion in her eyes told him just how hard that admission was for her to make. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear——-he wanted more———but he’d take it for now. They had something worth keeping, and he’d hold on to it, and her. Forever, if she let him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize profusely for how long it has taken me to update this story. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I hope you’re still even interested in this story. I know I’m so blessed to have a core group of readers that have loved this story from the beginning and have always supported me and if you’re still choosing to hang in there with me——I love and appreciate you so much. 
> 
> This was a long chapter and I hope the turn Barry and Iris have taken in their relationship is one that was enjoyable and that you’ll look forward to more. I know there was a bit of angst at the end but that stems from the fear both Iris and Barry are feeling——afraid of what Uncle Phillip will do, afraid of Iris leaving, afraid of admitting how they truly feel to themselves and each other. These two are navigating their relationship through the lens of fear. 
> 
> I’m working on the Second Chances update now and then I will get back to this story, hopefully in a more timely manner.
> 
> Again, thank you. Be safe. Be well. Take care of yourselves. ❤️

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate you all so much. All comments and kudos are welcomed.


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